Cottage food rules
Tennessee Cottage Food Laws Update: What Changed
A plain answer on the July 1, 2025 Tennessee change and what it means for your baking.
On this page
What to remember
- The amendment took effect July 1, 2025.
- It allows the production and sale of certain time/temperature controlled foods.
- Items without dairy, meat, or poultry must be sold by the producer to the consumer, in person or remotely.
- Tennessee is one of about three states that allows acidified foods and low-acid canned foods under its cottage food law.
If you bake and sell from your kitchen in Tennessee, this is the update to know about. It is also a good moment to reread the whole law instead of the summary you saved two years ago. Our guide to researching your state’s cottage food laws shows where the official wording lives and how to read it without a lawyer.
What changed on July 1, 2025
Effective July 1, 2025, the Tennessee legislature amended the Tennessee Food Freedom Act (T.C.A. § 53-1-118) to allow for the production and sale of certain time/temperature controlled foods. That is the headline change, and the word to hold onto is certain. The amendment did not throw the doors open to everything. It named a category of foods and brought them inside the law.
That matters for you because a bake you have been avoiding may now be one you can sell, and a bake you assumed was fine may sit outside the category. The Tennessee Department of Agriculture keeps the Food Freedom Act page up to date, and that page is the one to check before you change your menu.
What you can sell, and how it reaches the buyer
Under Senate Bill 484 and House Bill 130, homemade food items that do not contain dairy, meat, or poultry must be sold by the producer to the consumer, whether in person or remotely. Put simply, the person who made the food is the person who sells it, at the market table or in a message on your phone. That line has not moved, and it is worth knowing cold before you take a big order.
Tennessee is also one of only about three states that allows acidified foods and low-acid canned foods such as pickles, sauerkraut, canned vegetables, and hot sauces under its cottage food law. If you have been canning alongside your baking, that is a real advantage over bakers in most other states. Our roundup of states with the best cottage food laws shows how Tennessee compares.
Before your next batch
Read the current wording
Open the Tennessee Department of Agriculture Food Freedom Act page and read the amendment as it stands today, not a screenshot from last year.
Check your recipe against the dairy, meat, and poultry line
Under Senate Bill 484 and House Bill 130, homemade items without dairy, meat, or poultry must be sold by the producer to the consumer. Look at your ingredient list with that sentence in front of you.
Decide how you will sell
The law allows selling in person or remotely, as long as the producer sells to the consumer. Pick the way you want to take orders and stay with it.
Note what the amendment opened up
Certain time/temperature controlled foods are now covered. If one of your bakes falls in that group, write down what changed for you so you are not guessing later.
Keep your acidified and canned items in view
Pickles, sauerkraut, canned vegetables, and hot sauces are allowed under Tennessee’s cottage food law, which is unusual. Do not assume the same is true when you sell across a state line.
Laws move, and this one moved in your favor. Put a note on your calendar to check the department page again before the season starts, so the rules you bake by are the rules in force. If you sell in more than one state, our look at the Oklahoma cottage food laws update shows how differently a nearby state handles its own changes.
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- Research Your State’s Cottage Food Laws
- States With the Best Cottage Food Laws
- Oklahoma Cottage Food Laws Update: What Changes in 2026
Common questions
Did Tennessee cottage food law change in 2025?
Yes. Effective July 1, 2025, the legislature amended the Tennessee Food Freedom Act (T.C.A. § 53-1-118) to allow for the production and sale of certain time/temperature controlled foods.
Can I sell food that needs temperature control now?
The amendment covers certain time/temperature controlled foods. Because the law says certain, check the current wording on the Tennessee Department of Agriculture Food Freedom Act page before you plan a batch around it.
Do I have to sell in person?
No. Under Senate Bill 484 and House Bill 130, homemade items that do not contain dairy, meat, or poultry must be sold by the producer to the consumer, whether in person or remotely.
Can I sell pickles or hot sauce under Tennessee's cottage food law?
Tennessee is one of only about three states that allows acidified foods and low-acid canned foods such as pickles, sauerkraut, canned vegetables, and hot sauces under its cottage food law.
Who do I ask when the law is unclear?
The Tennessee Food Freedom Act was written and amended by the legislature, and the Tennessee Department of Agriculture explains its role and limitations under the law on its Food Freedom Act page. Start there for the current text.
Sources
This is general information about a state law, not legal or tax advice. Rules change, so confirm the current wording with the Tennessee Department of Agriculture before you sell.