On January 1, 2013 a new law went into effect in California allowing certain foods prepared in properly permitted home kitchens to be sold to the public. Under the new law all such Cottage Food Operations, or CFOs, are required to obtain an appropriate permit from, and allow inspections by, the local health inspection agency having jurisdiction over the area in which the home kitchen is located, similar to the requirement for restaurants and commercial kitchens. All CFOs are limited to producing and selling foods deemed "not potentially hazardous," and the front label of all CFO products must conspicuously state that the product is "Made In A Home Kitchen."
At KristAnn's we've been dealing with gluten-free food preparation for over 10 years, and we put those experiences and the resulting practical know-how to use in operating our CFO. We start with only the best premium raw ingredients that are naturally gluten-free and formally claimed by their producers as such. Then we follow-up with each ingredient producer to inquire about their specific gluten cross-contamination prevention measures. Whenever possible we source from local producers with dedicated gluten-free production facilities, but a commitment to eliminating gluten cross-contamination is always primary in all of our final ingredient decisions. Once we have the ingredients on-site, we regularly perform lateral flow gluten testing on randomly selected samples. Last but not least, we also go above and beyond the formal requirements for CFO's by using dedicated preparation equipment and meticulous attention to cleanliness in all internal production, with a particular emphasis on fixed food preparation surfaces such as countertops where microfine gluten-containing dust can settle. All of this is designed so that you can rest assured every reasonable effort has been taken to ensure that every treat we make will always be gluten-free. Many claim gluten-free. We live it.™
| Legal Requirement | KristAnn's Standard |
|---|---|
| No preparation, packaging, or handling concurrent with any other domestic activities, such as family meal preparation, dishwashing, clothes washing or ironing, kitchen cleaning, or guest entertainment. |
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| No infants, small children, or pets in the home kitchen during preparation, packaging, or handling | No infants, small children, or pets present in kitchen or any other area, at any time |
| Kitchen equipment and utensils used to produce cottage food products shall be clean and maintained in a good state of repair |
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| All food contact surfaces, equipment, and utensils used for the preparation, packaging, or handling of any cottage food products must be washed, rinsed, and sanitized before each use | All food contact surfaces, equipment, and utensils, regardless of type or use, washed, rinsed, and sanitized before each use |
| All food preparation and food and equipment storage areas must be maintained free of rodents and insects | all areas, regardless of use, are maintained rodent and insect free |
| Smoking prohibited in the portion of a private home used for the preparation, packaging, storage, or handling of cottage food products and related ingredients or equipment, or both, while cottage food products are being prepared, packaged, stored, or handled | Smoking prohibited at all times in all areas of the CFO premises (includes outside on CFO property) |
While there are many potential benefits for consumers that may result from California's CFO law--including increased availability of food options, stimulation to local economies, increased price competition, and greater potential for oversight and regulation of already existing activities--the particular benefits to those with celiac disease or gluten sensitivity are potentially even greater. The often unspoken reality of small-scale commercial food operations is that many, if not most, do not have their own dedicated production facility and instead share space at rental commercial kitchens. The unfortunate reality of these shared kitchens is that even under the best of circumstances they can pose significant obstacles to the elimination of cross-contamination in gluten-free cooking. CFOs have the potential to eliminate or at least greatly reduce those cross-contamination threats in their home kitchens if they diligently apply the appropriate measures.
*We do not have dedicated ovens at this time.