Preparing food at home - legalities?

Tupins

Hi, can anyone point me in the right direction to get some info on selling food products that will be prepared in my home?

Is this even allowed?

FusionNet

This is simple. Go to your local Environmental health office and make an appointment with and EHO (health officer) they will give you all the info needed, give you books to read and leaflets to fill out and they will also do an inspection of your premises and tell you what they'd want to see in place.

Thats the fastest way and also the only way. Any info given here will be vague as people dont know what you want to cook or what your house is like etc.

dh0661

FusionNet wrote: »

Thats the fastest way and also the only way. Any info given here will be vague as people dont know what you want to cook or what your house is like etc.

The requirements made to pass any inspection from the H.S.E. makes any investment made by a genuine "home cooked" type of operation operation impossible IMO.

A friend of mine went to H.S.E. to enquire about making home made apple tarts.

They came to her home to inspect the cooking and preparation areas, which were actually in her shed/garage that was well kitted out with commercial ovens and other equipment, mixers & refridgation etc. and clean.

The result of the inspection would have cost my friend to invest at least another €12-500, to get kitted out to their standards.

Which she did not have or could get to invest in her plan to get started.

cormie

I've been told by a little cafe type place in Wicklow that it's very easy to get approved. To just apply for the smallest simplest set-up type they have, I forget the name of it, something like cottage something or other maybe? Or maybe that's just me thinking of a cottage industry

Anyway, she said there are very few requirements, just that you need to have a separate sink for washing hands and a separate sink for washing food/dishes etc. I wonder does it make a difference if you're actually "cooking" the food though

So on one hand, by her I was told it's very easy, but then I've heard others say it's very hard for people just wanting to make a few things to sell due to regulations etc.

Off topic question: How would you come up with expiry date for the food? If you're making a cake say with 5 ingredients, do you just go by whatever ingredient expires the soonest? Is it even necessary to put it on the package?

Tupins

cormie wrote: »

Off topic question: How would you come up with expiry date for the food? If you're making a cake say with 5 ingredients, do you just go by whatever ingredient expires the soonest? Is it even necessary to put it on the package?

Good question :rolleyes:

I'd say that most home cooked food would actually go off a lot quicker than processed food as there wouldn't be all the preservatives etc in it. You don't normally see best before dates on market bought food - I'd say people would just kind of know to eat it fast enough.

A friend of mine sells home grown, organic veg and he says that a lot of people are suprised by how short their shelf/fridge life is. We are so used to having carrots in the fridge for about 2 weeks and still they look perfect whereas in fact this is not natural and is a sign that it's full of chemicals - they should really start to go bad after a few days!

cormie

My mam was just talking to me about that yesterday saying that they put chlorophyll in the plastic packaging which preserves veg Surely they don't do this with organic packed veg and fruit?

With regards the expiry date again, you reckon it's not necessary so? Imagine you were making something simple, that used ingredients with quite a long shelf life anyway, say a spice mix or something like that, would you just base the expiry date on the ingredient which is soonest to expire, or would it dramatically changed if they were all ground together and maybe with a binder, even water, mixed in?

Wonder where the best place to find all this out is

Tupins

cormie wrote: »

My mam was just talking to me about that yesterday saying that they put chlorophyll in the plastic packaging which preserves veg Surely they don't do this with organic packed veg and fruit?

No they don't - that's the point I'm making. Therefore it doesn't last as long as non organic stuff.

I'd say you'd have to contact the EHO or local authority to find out about best before dates. You could also ask people already selling stuff at markets and they might tell you where to go for info.