Cottage food law

[Anonymous]

Would you buy food from someone who is subject to cottage food law in Maryland?

https://health.maryland.gov/phpa/OEHFP/OFPCHS/pages/cottagefoods.aspx

From what I understand it is baked goods prepared in a residential setting, so there is no health department inspection or food safety training. It’s just your neighbor selling cookies. There is something similar in Virginia but it requires an inspection, I think.

[Anonymous]

I am skeptical. When I was younger, my friend was pretty broke but wanted to sell pre prepared dinners in Virginia. But she had cats and asked me to take her cats while the inspector came by. I’m worried about animal hair or cats on kitchen counters.

[Anonymous]

Depends on if I knew the neighbor. Def not otherwise.

[Anonymous]

No!!

[Anonymous]

someone ratted oit our egg roll lady neighbor. Real shame, I would totally buy her egg rolls. Not sure about a cat lady's cookies though

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:No!!

But how is it different than buying food at a local school bake sale?

[Anonymous]

Yes I would and do buy. Several vendors at the farmers market fall under cottage laws.

[Anonymous]

Do this all the time, NBD.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No!!

But how is it different than buying food at a local school bake sale?

I don't eat that either.

[Anonymous]

Depends on the neighbor.

No!!

Have you ever been to a restaurant? Any restaurant?

[Anonymous]

I buy homemade sour dough from a lady in our neighborhood. Her sour dough is perfect. Her cookies are meh.

[Anonymous]

Yes..ofc. don't ruin all the good things we have you weirdo anxiety forward members of society!! Leave us and the cottage industry alone and we won't make you eat it. Ok?!

[Anonymous]

Yep. I actually prefer homemade food. I won’t buy mass produced grocery store food like cookies and cakes. They never taste good.

[Anonymous]

I would but usually only if I know them in some capacity. Like if it was someone I knew from church or through my kid's school, especially if I'd had food they'd prepared before.

I'd be a lot more wary of buying food like this from a stranger or someone outside my immediate community, because they could do something sketchy and then disappear and there would be no accountability. If it's someone with a reputation who knows other people I know, they will be incentivized not to poison me or do something risky or sketchy because if I got sick or found out, their rep would be ruined.

[Anonymous]

I think DCUM is the only place in the world where people won't eat homemade food.