Safely make, enjoy fall treats

NORWALK — With just several more days until the official start of fall, Huron County Public Health is reminding entrepreneurs and families to brush up on food safety laws before selling or buying seasonal favorites like pumpkin rolls. Officials stressed that while Ohio's Cottage Food Law makes it easy to sell certain low-risk foods from home kitchens, some items — including pumpkin rolls — require refrigeration and therefore cannot be sold without a Home Bakery License. Cottage Food Law Ohio's Cottage Food Law allows certain low-risk foods to be produced in home kitchens without inspection or licensing. These foods must follow specific labeling rules and may be sold directly from the home, through grocery stores, restaurants, registered farm markets, and at certain festivals or celebrations. Foods allowed under Cottage Food Law include, but are not limited to: • Baked goods that do not require refrigeration (i.e., bread, cookies, brownies, cake, fruit pie, fruit cobbler)• Candy• Fruit jams/jellies• Flavored honey produced by an exempt beekeeper• Fruit chutneys, non-acidified• Fruit butters• Granola, granola bars dipped in candy• Maple sugar produced by an exempt maple syrup producer• Popcorn, flavored popcorn, kettle corn, popcorn balls, caramel corn• Unfilled baked donuts• Waffle cones and waffle cones dipped in candy• Pizzelles• Dry cereal and nut snack mixes with seasonings• Roasted coffee (whole beans or ground, flavoring permitted)• Dry baking mixes in a jar (other packages permitted)• Dry herbs and herb blends• Dry tea blends• Dry soup mixes• Dry seasoning blends Foods that cannot be sold as cottage food include: • Candy-covered fresh fruit• Freezer jam• Fresh pasta• Fry pies• Hummus• Beef jerky• Pumpkin rolls (require refrigeration) Home bakery licensure Pumpkin rolls and other foods requiring refrigeration may only be sold from a licensed Home Bakery. Requirements for a Home Bakery License include: • Kitchen walls, ceilings, and floors must be in good repair, clean, and easily cleanable• No carpeted floors in the kitchen• Home must be free of pets• Equipment and utensils must be maintained in sanitary condition• A mechanical refrigerator with a properly located thermometer capable of maintaining 45°F or less• Annual well water test for coliform bacteria if on a private well (with proof of a negative result)• Labels available for review at the time of inspection• Licensed home bakeries are subject to inspection by the Ohio Department of Agriculture. Once licensed, they may sell "potentially hazardous food" like pumpkin rolls in Ohio and even across state lines. "Food safety education is important," Huron County Public Health emphasized in a release. "Knowing the differences between cottage foods and home bakery can help consumers make informed decisions about the foods their families purchase and consume."