Selling homemade food in Hawaii

Allowed from a home kitchen

Sourdough bread · Cookies & brownies · Fruit pie · Strawberry jam · Fresh salsa (refrigerated) · Canned pickles · Sauerkraut & kimchi · Granola · Spice rubs & seasoning blends · Roasted coffee · Loose-leaf tea blends · Dried fruit & fruit leather · Freeze-dried candy · Chocolates & truffles · Toffee, fudge & caramels · Pure honey · Fruit-infused vinegar · Cold-pressed juice

Needs a commercial kitchen or other license

Pumpkin pie · Cheesecake · Cake with cream cheese frosting · Meat tamales · Canned tomato sauce · Garlic or herb-infused oil^‡ · Home-cooked meals^‡ · Beef jerky · Cheese & yogurt^‡ · Kombucha^‡

Ask the agency first

Cake with buttercream · Macarons · Fruit tamales · Low-sugar or freezer jam · Pepper jelly · Shelf-stable salsa · Hot sauce · Marshmallows · Nut butter · Infused honey · Vanilla extract · Mustard (no egg)

Every product has conditions, such as registration, training, labeling, and sales limits. See the full guide for each one. ‡ General rule; not specifically addressed in this state's guidance.

How to start

1. Check that the product doesn't need refrigeration. Pickled, fermented, or acidified plant foods need pH 4.2 or below or water activity below 0.88.
2. Complete DOH or DOH-approved food safety training (ANSI-accredited courses count). No permit is needed.
3. Sell at events and farmers markets, online, or wholesale to permitted food establishments. Event organizers may need a special event permit.
4. Don't vacuum-pack, and don't can anything except jams and jellies.
5. Label every product.

Key label items

Use the exact required wording shown in the full guide and on the agency's site.

• “Made in a home kitchen not routinely inspected by the Department of Health”
• Common or descriptive name of the product
• Ingredients in descending order by weight
• Major food allergens
• Operator's name and contact information