Food Safety For Bake Sales
Bake Sale Definition
A Bake Sale is classified as a food event with the main purpose of selling non-hazardous baked goods or other non-hazardous food items to raise money for the sponsoring organization or charitable project.
There are other operation classifications that allow the sale of baked goods from home. If your event is meant for personal or business profit, you would need to register as a Cottage Food Operation or Home Kitchen. Please contact MCHD with any questions on which would fit your event/operation better.
Registration
MCHD only requires bakes sales to be registered with the health department to ensure food safe handling practices and safe labeling. A permit is not issued for the event and there is no cost association with registration. Registration is required per event.
Training
There are no training requirements to have a bake sale. However, if your organization hosts several bakes sales as a main source of funding, we do recommend allergen training that can be obtained online. Furthermore, you can contact MCHD for food safety handouts including handwashing, sanitization, food organization, and cross contamination.
Sales Avenues
Bake Sales are one-time events with food items sold on site directly to consumers for their own consumption and not for resale.
Allowable Food Items
The safest foods to sell are baked goods such as cookies, breads, cakes, brownies, candies, trail mixes, and unsliced fresh fruits and vegetables. Non-hazardous jams and jellies are also permitted. If you have a question about if your item is allowed, please contact MCHD.
Prohibited Food Items
The list of prohibited foods for bakes sales is quite extensive. Bakes sales only allow the sale of non-hazardous food items. Common baked food items that are prohibited include: cream or custard frostings, pumpkin pies, sweet potato pies, cheesecakes, custard pies, crème pies, any cream filled baked good (cream puffs), and soft cheeses. Furthermore, any food items containing raw fish and shellfish, products containing raw milk, and any meat or poultry products are prohibited. If you have a question about a food item, please contact MCHD.
Labeling
All items at a bake sale should be individually pre-packaged with labels identifying the product. Labels should include identifying information that allows tracking in case illness occurs. MCHD understands that some donators might not wish personal information to be distributed to the public, therefore, it is encouraged for organizations to come up with their own systems for tracking. For ideas on how to accomplish this, feel free to contact us.
Labels are required to include a common or usual name of the food product, all ingredients of the items, the date it was made, and any allergens that are in the food items.
Responsibilities
It is the responsibility of the sponsoring organization to ensure that only allowed food items are sold. Furthermore, sponsoring organizations are also responsible for ensuring that food safety practices are followed and education is provided where necessary for handwashing, personnel health, cross contamination, and cross contact. Contact MCHD for any education requests.
Bake sales are not generally inspected outside of festivals. Signs should be posted at the event that clearly state that the food items were made in a home kitchen not subject to health department inspection. A sign is provided during registration.