How to Start a Canning Business

There are several foods that can be canned and sold in a small home-based canning business. Jams and jellies, herbal vinegars, pickled vegetables, dressings, and acidified fruits are just some of the foods commonly manufactured in a home-based canning business. If you have ever considered selling your home-prepared goods, starting a canning business may be the right choice for you.

Instructions

1. Check with your state's regional office of the Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection's Food Safety Division for safety regulations regarding the processing and selling of locally produced food. Find out what foods are safe to manufacture in your home or on your farm. Learn which foods are considered potentially hazardous for home canning and refrain from producing them.

2. Inquire about all necessary license requirements and determine what type of license you will need. Learn the differences between a retail food establishment license, a food processing plant license and a food processing license.

3. Develop a professional business plan that outlines all aspects of your canning business. Include the type of foods you will be canning, start-up costs, licensing requirements, market demand, marketing strategies and rate of return on investment.

4. Submit your written recipes for all foods that you plan to can and sell to the Department of Food Safety and request an evaluation. Submit the evaluated recipe to a process authority and ask for approval of the recipe. Submit a statement of approval to the Division of Food Safety and the United States Food and Drug Administration.

5. Obtain a retail food establishment license if your canning business plan includes the selling of processed foods such as cheese product, dairy, bakery items, etc.

6. Obtain a food processing plant licenses if your plan includes processing and canning foods that you intend to sell as a wholesale food to restaurants, markets or other food industry businesses.

7. Obtain a food processing license if your canning business will include cutting, preparing, freezing, mixing or packaging vegetables and/or fruit, fish/seafood products, bakery items, eggs and juice before selling them.

8. Inquire about all other regulations for a canning business, including requirements for facilities, equipment, processing conditions, packaging and labeling.

9. Designate a food processing area in your home or separate building. Construct a processing area away from your kitchen that is large enough to provide sufficient room for food preparation and packaging, as well as separate large storage areas for both cooking ingredients and finished products. Store cooking ingredients away from finished foods to prevent contamination.

10. Consider renting out a food processing facility in a church kitchen, restaurant kitchen or any small commercial kitchen. Verify that the kitchen meets all safety regulations and apply for a food processing operation license for that location.

11. Work with your local Department of Food Safety inspector regularly during the development of the facility to make sure that you are adhering to all regulated guidelines, such as proper water supply and using state-approved appliances and equipment.

12. Develop a food journal that lists all of the food you will be canning, along with the individual ingredients in the food. Make a separate list of all the ingredients your company will be using and include nutritional information such as calorie content.

13. Decide if you will make your own labels or hire a printing company to make them for you. Make sure all labels include the name of the food, a list of ingredients (the first ingredient must be the predominant weight and the other ingredients listed in decreasing weight predominance), the net volume of the product, nutrition information (calories, fat, fiber, etc.) and your business name and contact information.

14. Locate a manufacturer of canning supplies and place your product order. Arrange to have your supplies delivered one month prior to the production of your food so that all bottles, jars, cans and equipment can be properly sterilized and stored.

15. Advertise your company with local newspapers, online message boards and throughout the community.

Tips & Warnings

• Always prepare food under safe and sanitary conditions by closely adhering to all state and local regulations.

• Add a note to your label if any of the food is processed in a facility that also processes nuts, shellfish or any other potential food allergen.

References

• Wisconsin Food Safety: Start a Small Food Business