Starting a Food Business at Home

Starting a food business at home can be a rewarding business venture.

Producing food in your home for many people to eat is a serious undertaking. It is not the same as cooking for the family. You will be entering into a highly regulated business area with serious legal obligations.

It is only for those committed to maintaining the highest level of hygiene and food safety. Here, you will find information on the legal requirements, pitfalls and risks associated with operating a food business in the home: 

• Food Hygiene Legislation
• Food Labelling
• Possible Pitfalls
• FSAI Publications

Food hygiene legislation

Operating a food business from home does not exempt your business from the requirements of the food hygiene legislation (Regulation EC 852/2004). This legislation sets out requirements for:

• Registration of the business with the Health Service Executive (HSE)
• Hygiene rules to be complied with
• Training
• Food safety management system based on the principles of HACCP (Hazard analysis and critical control points) to ensure the production of safe food
• Traceability systems and recall procedures in the event of unsafe food being placed on the market

Where food of animal origin, e.g. meat, poultry, eggs, fish, unpasteurised milk, is being processed, you may also need to comply with the legislation setting down specific hygiene rules for foods of animal origin (Regulation 853/2004) and in some cases, the business may require approval by the HSE.

Food labelling

Food which is prepacked by the manufacturer before being brought for sale at a farmers market or other food stall is subject to the full labelling rules and all of the mandatory information, must then appear on the product label. More information on what is required to be declared on the label is available in our factsheet ‘Food Information for Consumers at Markets Operated by Country Markets Limited’. These rules also apply where it is intended to sell your produce in local retail premises.

Compliance with       additional legislation may be required depending on the type of product which you intend to make, e.g. labelling, additives, marketing standards for eggs, nutrition and health claims etc. Find out more about food legislation.

Possible pitfalls when operating a food business from home

Operating a food business from home can present specific problems that you should be aware of:

1. Food can become contaminated due to: 

   • Normal domestic activities – there must be proper segregation of business and domestic food preparation and activities

   • Poor hygiene – not washing hands properly or frequently enough, particularly after using the toilet,

   • handling refuse etc., dirty cloths and tea towels, poor cleaning practices, dirty equipment/utensils etc

   • Working when ill, particularly when suffering from vomiting/diarrhoea, infected skin wounds, flu, coughing and infections of the mouth, throat, eyes or ears

   • Changing/feeding babies in food preparation areas

   • People or pets entering food preparation areas

   • Facilities being too small.

2. Production of too much food for the size of the area.
3. Insufficient/unsuitable refrigerator space to keep food chilled.
4. Lack of equipment necessary to cool food fast enough after cooking.
5. The type of food being produced or the process involved presents too high a risk to take place safely in a domestic kitchen.
6. Food may be supplied to a vulnerable group, e.g. babies and young children, pregnant women and the elderly.

FSAI publications

• Factsheet: business start-up information
• Food Information on Prepacked Foods
• Allergen Information for Non-Prepacked Foods
• Country Markets’ Guide to Good Hygiene Practice
• Information on Nutrition and Health Claims
• Guidance Note No.29 - The Use of Food Marketing Terms

Find these publications and many more in our publications section.

If you have any more questions you can contact our Advice Line.

Print