BISMARCK – Legislators at an Administrative Rules Committee meeting this week approved rules for cottage food products.

The rules do not add additional regulation but clarify what is currently written into state law under the North Dakota Cottage Food Act. The clarifying language will go into effect Jan. 1, 2020. More information can be found on the North Dakota Department of Health website at health.nd.gov/cottage-food.

The North Dakota Cottage Food Act allows for the sale of uninspected, homemade cottage food products to an informed end consumer for at-home consumption. The law became effective on Aug. 1, 2017.

The new rules define and clarify procedures relating to illness or environmental health investigations. The clarifying rules do not affect baked goods, jams, jellies and hundreds of other food and drink products adopted under the original Cottage Food Act.