Taking on BigBrother really isn't as bad as it seems.
Here's what's needed for someone to start up in OUR area, in no particular order-
1- product liability insurance (ours is $450 a year)
2- government licensing- $55/year for the state food license, $25 (one time) state business license, and if a county license is required for farmer's market or whatever $75.
3- processing facility- think OUTSIDE the box! there are TONS of buildings that have kitchens that might be available! In WA, a processor can get licensed in any number of public facilities including- church, private school, fire hall, a restaurant during the off hours, grange hall, community center, shared-use kitchen, Eagles/Elks/VFW/Masonic lodges, a private caterer, another small food processor........just go for a drive and look at all the buildings that have kitchens.
Here's what happens in OUR area-
If you want to RETAIL, you need a county health permit. If I was to get my private facility licensed by the county so I can RETAIL, it would cost me about $1000. If I were to use an existing kitchen, which is already county licensed and uses municipal water (eliminating the need for $400 of water purity tests) , it's $75-$100 for a yearly health department permit.
If you want to WHOLESALE, you need a state permit $55/yr. And you can get licensed in any existing commercial kitchen, providing you and the kitchen can work out schedules and there is room for your product to be kept separate from the rest of the kitchens stuff. No cross-contamination, etc.
In some areas, one permit will allow both retail and wholesale. Research! For me, it's not cost effective to spend $1000 on a county license for my private facility. It would take me 5 years of the occasional farmers markets to get that back.
4- bottles, labels, product, looks like scarpetti has some of that stuff already
5- Process authority letter if the product is to be considered "shelf stable"- $25 (prices vary considerably for this! It's $25 at WSU food science department, private labs probably charge more.) This is for WA state, other states may vary, but I know most states follow the Better Process Control School guidelines. The product needs to be tested by a "process authority" person. You send in a detailed description of the recipe, the ingredients (quantity in recipe and source) the production process, and they review it and make a determination if the product is safe to be made as described and based on pH level or if other processes need to be followed. WA state requires it before a product can be sold as "shelf stable".
6- file for an FDA nutritional labeling exemption (free) and you can forget all that FDA stuff ....at least for a year or two until you get really big and prosperous! Remember to renew every year. You can do it online now and they'll email a renewal reminder to you.
The key is finding a kitchen where you can rent by the hour or occasion. Other than that, for less than a grand, you can be in biz legit!
If you just want to sell at farmers markets it could be a lot less than that. But please be careful! Anything can happen...bad product, a chip of glass in the jar....it's just smarter to eliminate potential problems by doing it right. Especially when it can be done for a couple hundred bucks....
I'm Cheering you on, Scarpetti!