In 2018, California passed bill (AB 626), which allows for “microenterprise home kitchen operations” MEHKO. The law went into effect on January 1, 2019.
The MEHKO law allows home cooks to start micro-restaurants from their homes and sell almost any kind of food. The California law is a big reference point in efforts to create similar legislation across the country by proponents of the emerging cottage food industry that previously limited home cooks to only non-perishable foods.
MEHKOs are only available in counties that create ordinances to allow the law and comes with limitations but with less regulations.
MEHKO cooks must:
• Live in a county/city that creates an ordinance to allow this law.
• Make and sell your food on the same day.
• Sell directly to customers (no indirect sales).
• Sell no more than 60 meals per week.
• Stay under the $50,000 annual sales limit.
• Not be a cottage food operation.
The California of Public Health explains, effective January 1, 2019, the new law gives a city or county “full discretion” to authorize the MEHKOs in their jurisdiction. Under the regulations, until a county or a city authorizes these types of operations, MEHKOs will not be able to be issued a health permit to operate. To learn if a city and/or county has adopted an ordinance or resolution, or to find information about the full permit and operational requirements to operate a MEHKO in your area, please contact your local environmental health agency.
