"Cottage food bill," being heard today, would allow home cooks to sell goods on their own

Should bakers and cake-makers be able to sell delicious wares made in home kitchens at farmer's markets and roadside stands? That's the question lawmakers will debate today when they take up House Bill 12-1027, the so-called "cottage food bill." Sponsored by Republican Representative Laura Bradford, the measure would allow counties...

By Melanie Asmar

January 26, 2012

Audio By Carbonatix

[
        {
          "name": "Air - MediumRectangle - Inline Content - Mobile Display Size",
          "component": "12017618",
          "insertPoint": "2",
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "2",
          
          "watchElement": ".fdn-content-body",
          "astAdList": [
            {
              "adType": "rectangle",
              "displayTargets": "mobile"
            }
          ]
        },{
          "name": "Editor Picks",
          "component": "17242653",
          "insertPoint": "4",
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "1",
          
          "watchElement": ".fdn-content-body",
          "astAdList": [
            {
              "adType": "rectangle",
              "displayTargets": "desktop|tablet"
            },{
              "adType": "rectangle",
              "displayTargets": "desktop|tablet|mobile"
            }
          ]
        },{
          "name": "Inline Links",
          "component": "18838239",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 8,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "7",
          "maxInsertions": 25
        },{
          "name": "Air - MediumRectangle - Combo - Inline Content",
          "component": "17261320",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 8,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "7",
          "maxInsertions": 25,
          
          "watchElement": ".fdn-content-body",
          "astAdList": [
            {
              "adType": "rectangle",
              "displayTargets": "desktop|tablet"
            },{
              "adType": "rectangle",
              "displayTargets": "desktop|tablet|mobile"
            }
          ]
        },{
          "name": "Inline Links",
          "component": "18838239",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 12,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "11",
          "maxInsertions": 25
        },{
          "name": "Air - Leaderboard Tower - Combo - Inline Content",
          "component": "17261321",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 12,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "11",
          "maxInsertions": 25,
          
          "watchElement": ".fdn-content-body",
          "astAdList": [
            {
              "adType": "leaderboardInlineContent",
              "displayTargets": "desktop|tablet"
            },{
              "adType": "tower",
              "displayTargets": "mobile"
            }
          ]
        }
      ]

Should bakers and cake-makers be able to sell delicious wares made in home kitchens at farmer's markets and roadside stands? That's the question lawmakers will debate today when they take up House Bill 12-1027, the so-called "cottage food bill." Sponsored by Republican Representative Laura Bradford, the measure would allow counties or public health agencies to register home cooks, who could then sell their cookies directly to you and me.

The registration would be good for a year and cost no more than $100. The bill makes clear that home cooks must label their products with their name, address, contact information and the products' ingredients -- which cannot include medical marijuana. The label must also include a disclaimer: "THIS PRODUCT WAS PRODUCED IN A HOME KITCHEN THAT IS NOT SUBJECT TO STATE LICENSURE OR INSPECTION. THIS PRODUCT IS NOT INTENDED FOR RESALE."

The bill will be heard by the House Economic and Business Development Committee at 1:30 p.m. today. Supporters (armed with cookies!) are planning a rally beforehand.

See below for a video from 11News about the bill.

Become A Member

BEFORE YOU GO...
Can you help us continue to share our stories? Since the beginning, Westword has been defined as the free, independent voice of Denver — and we'd like to keep it that way. Our members allow us to continue offering readers access to our incisive coverage of local news, food, and culture with no paywalls.

Melanie Asmar is a staff writer for Westword. She joined the paper in 2009 and has won awards for her stories about education, immigration and epic legal battles. Got a tip? She'd love to hear it.

Contact: Melanie Asmar

Follow:

Facebook: 162305260526475

Twitter: @MelanieAsmar