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Selling beef jerky in Arizona

Sources last read Oct 8, 2026

What Arizona's own pages say about making beef jerky at home, each line linked, and the path to a store when you want one to stock it.

Run the free rules check for it: no account, no AI.

A sketch of Beef jerky in its bag.
General information, not advice. This is written for small food makers and cites its sources, but it is not legal, regulatory or food-safety advice, and it cannot account for your product, your state or your facility. Rules change and thresholds are adjusted yearly. Confirm anything you are about to act on with your state agency, a Process Authority, or the FDA.

Can I make beef jerky at home in Arizona?

Arizona's own pages name beef jerky, or foods like it, in both of Arizona's lists: what a home kitchen may make and what it may not. ShelfStep found these lines by the words they use; whether they cover your product is for the Arizona Department of Health Services to say. Those lines, as the state writes them:

  • Arizona's Cottage Food Program rules: what may be made at homeArizona Legislature, A.R.S. §36-931 says:“(b) Does not include alcoholic beverages, unpasteurized milk or foods that are or that contain alcoholic beverages, fish and shellfish products, meat, meat by-products, poultry or poultry by-products unless the sale of those items is allowed by federal law, including all of the following: (i) Poultry, poultry by-products or poultry food products if the registered food preparer raised the poultry pursuant to the one thousand bird exemption set forth in 9 Code of Federal Regulations section 381.10(c). (ii) Poultry, poultry by-products or poultry food products if the poultry is from an inspected source pursuant to 9 Code of Federal Regulations section 381.10(d). (iii) Meat, meat by-products or meat food products if the meat is from an inspected source pursuant to 9 Code of Federal Regulations section 303.1(d).”Arizona Legislature, A.R.S. §36-931 · Read Oct 8, 2026
  • Arizona's Cottage Food Program rules: what may not be made at homeArizona Legislature, A.R.S. §36-931 says:“1. "Cottage food product": ... (b) Does not include alcoholic beverages, unpasteurized milk or foods that are or that contain alcoholic beverages, fish and shellfish products, meat, meat by-products, poultry or poultry by-products unless the sale of those items is allowed by federal law, including all of the following:”Arizona Legislature, A.R.S. §36-931 · Read Oct 8, 2026

What rules does beef jerky come under beyond Arizona's?

Outside a home kitchen, ShelfStep's plan reads beef jerky as a meat or poultry product. The plan's own line for it, a default and not a law:

ShelfStep’s plan default, not a lawMeat or poultry (e.g. egg rolls with meat, jerky, sausage): likely USDA-FSIS jurisdiction — federal/state grant of inspection or a co-packer under continuous inspection, the USDA mark of inspection on the label, and cold-chain handling. NOT the FDA path.9 CFR 304 (application for and grant of inspection)

What the rules behind it say, in their own words, with the page and the day ShelfStep read each. ShelfStep does not decide which of them apply to your product.

Source to check: the rules behind ShelfStep's plan for beef jerky
  • Meat inspection and retail stores9 CFR 303.1(d) says:“(d)(1) The requirements of the Act and the regulations in this subchapter for inspection of the preparation of products do not apply to operations of types traditionally and usually conducted at retail stores and restaurants, when conducted at any retail store or restaurant or similar retail-type establishment for sale in normal retail quantities or service of such articles to consumers at such establishments.”9 CFR 303.1(d) · Read Oct 8, 2026
  • State meat inspection programs9 CFR 321.1(a) says:“to cooperate with any State (including Puerto Rico) or any organized Territory in developing and administering the meat inspection program of such jurisdiction with a view to assuring that it imposes and enforces requirements at least equal to those under Titles I and IV of the Act, with respect to establishments at which products are prepared for use as human food solely for distribution within such jurisdiction”9 CFR 321.1(a) · Read Oct 8, 2026

Where may food made at home be sold in Arizona?

  • Arizona's Cottage Food Program rules: where it may be soldADHS, Cottage Food rule R9-8-101.02 (Arizona Administrative Register, 28 Feb 2025) says:“D. The registered cottage food preparer selling the cottage food: 1. Shall only offer cottage FOODS for sale and delivery in Arizona;”ADHS, Cottage Food rule R9-8-101.02 (Arizona Administrative Register, 28 Feb 2025) · Read Oct 8, 2026
  • Arizona's Cottage Food Program rules: where it may be soldADHS, Cottage Food rule R9-8-101.02 (Arizona Administrative Register, 28 Feb 2025) says:“4. For cottage food products that are Time/Temperature Control for Safety FOODS or contain meat or poultry products, shall ensure that the food: a. Is delivered in person directly to the consumer; b. Is not delivered by a third-party food delivery platform; c. Is maintained at the appropriate temperature during delivery and until provided to the consumer; d. Is transported to no more than one destination and for no longer than two hours in duration, including any time spent delayed in traffic; and”ADHS, Cottage Food rule R9-8-101.02 (Arizona Administrative Register, 28 Feb 2025) · Read Oct 8, 2026
  • Arizona's Cottage Food Program rules: where it may be soldArizona Legislature, A.R.S. §36-932 says:“E. Cottage food products may be sold and delivered only under the following conditions: 1. Cottage food products that do not contain dairy, meat or poultry must be sold by the food preparer of the cottage food product or an agent of the food preparer, including a third-party vendor, and delivered to the consumer by the food preparer, the agent of the food preparer, the third-party vendor or a third-party carrier.”Arizona Legislature, A.R.S. §36-932 · Read Oct 8, 2026
  • Arizona's Cottage Food Program rules: where it may be soldArizona Legislature, A.R.S. §36-932 says:“2. Cottage food products that are dairy products or that contain meat or poultry must be sold by the food preparer of the cottage food product in person or remotely, including over the internet but excluding third-party food delivery platforms, and delivered to the consumer in person.”Arizona Legislature, A.R.S. §36-932 · Read Oct 8, 2026
  • Arizona's Cottage Food Program rules: where it may be soldArizona Legislature, A.R.S. §36-932 says:“4. If a cottage food product is sold by a third-party vendor, the cottage food product must be sold in a separate section of the store or on a separate display case from nonhomemade food items and the vendor must display a sign that indicates that the cottage food products are homemade and exempt from state licensing and inspection.”Arizona Legislature, A.R.S. §36-932 · Read Oct 8, 2026

What does Arizona say a home-made label must carry?

  • Arizona's Cottage Food Program rules: the home-made labelADHS, Cottage Food rule R9-8-101.02 (Arizona Administrative Register, 28 Feb 2025) says:“C. The registered cottage food preparer shall: ... 3. Package the food at the home with an attached label that meets the requirements in A.R.S. § 36-932, including: ... e. The statement required by A.R.S. § 36-932(A)(5): To obtain additional information about cottage foods or to report a foodborne illness, go to azdhs.gov/Cottagefood; and”ADHS, Cottage Food rule R9-8-101.02 (Arizona Administrative Register, 28 Feb 2025) · Read Oct 8, 2026
  • Arizona's Cottage Food Program rules: the home-made labelArizona Legislature, A.R.S. §36-932 says:“A. Cottage food products must be packaged at home with an attached label in a clear and legible printed or handwritten font that does all of the following: ... 3. Includes the following statement: "This product was produced in a home kitchen that may come in contact with common food allergens and pet allergens and is not subject to public health inspection."”Arizona Legislature, A.R.S. §36-932 · Read Oct 8, 2026
  • Arizona's Cottage Food Program rules: the home-made labelArizona Legislature, A.R.S. §36-932 says:“A. Cottage food products must be packaged at home with an attached label in a clear and legible printed or handwritten font that does all of the following: 1. Clearly states the name and registration number of the food preparer. 2. Lists all the ingredients in the cottage food product and the cottage food product's production date. ... 4. If the cottage food product was made in a facility for individuals with developmental disabilities, discloses that fact. 5. Includes a website address provided by the department that includes all of the following:”Arizona Legislature, A.R.S. §36-932 · Read Oct 8, 2026
  • Arizona's Cottage Food Program rules: the home-made labelArizona Legislature, A.R.S. §36-932 says:“B. If a cottage food product is offered for sale online, the food preparer must provide a prominent notification that includes all of the following: 1. The name and registration number of the food preparer. 2. A list of all ingredients in the cottage food product and the cottage food product's production date. 3. The following statement: "This product was produced in a home kitchen that may come in contact with common food allergens and pet allergens and is not subject to public health inspection." 4. A website address provided by the department that includes all of the following:”Arizona Legislature, A.R.S. §36-932 · Read Oct 8, 2026

How do I get beef jerky into a store in Arizona?

  • Arizona's Cottage Food Program rules: what applies beyond the home-kitchen rulesADHS, Cottage Food rule R9-8-101.02 (Arizona Administrative Register, 28 Feb 2025) says:“B. An individual is not exempt from all other requirements in this Article if the individual does not maintain both an active food handler's certification, according to subsection (A)(4), and a current registration as a cottage food preparer with the Department, according to subsection (A)(5).”ADHS, Cottage Food rule R9-8-101.02 (Arizona Administrative Register, 28 Feb 2025) · Read Oct 8, 2026

From there, ShelfStep's standard plan for a meat or poultry product has 18 steps. The first 6 help you find out where and how beef jerky can be made at all, so they come first:

  1. 1.

    Write the recipe down with exact amounts

    Cost, price, nutrition and the label are all worked out from this. Write it in the units you actually use; ShelfStep converts for the label. What matters is that someone else could make the same batch from what is written.

  2. 2.

    Decide how it is kept: on a shelf, in the fridge or frozen

    The planned storage helps the reviewer assess the process, shelf life and packaging.

    In the plan: It decides which rules you follow.

  3. 3.

    Work out how it stays cold from your kitchen to the shop

    If your product needs refrigeration or freezing, plan how to keep it cold at every hand-off. Who keeps it cold at each hand-off, and how you would know if they did not, is what a buyer asks first.

  4. 4.

    Find out where you are allowed to make it for sale

    This finds out whether the state’s rules allow making this in a home kitchen or point to a commercial one — and that changes the cost and the timeline of everything after it. It is much cheaper to find out now than after buying packaging.

    In the plan: Your state's home-kitchen rules, in its own words. Whether they cover your product is for your state's agency to say.

  5. 5.

    Confirm which agency's rules it falls under

    Which rules your product falls under decides every step after this one, and only the right authority can say. The plan says likely; this is where someone qualified says for certain.

  6. 6.

    Have the pH and water activity of a finished batch measured

    These measurements give your reviewer information about the batch; they do not establish safety or storage conditions on their own.

    In the plan: The two numbers the acidified-food rules name. Measured on the finished product, once it has settled.

Every step, with its reason and what it typically costs, is on the beef jerky page:

1. Write the recipe down with exact amounts2. Decide how it is kept: on a shelf, in the fridge or frozen3. Work out how it stays cold from your kitchen to the shop4. Find out where you are allowed to make it for sale5. Confirm which agency's rules it falls under6. Have the pH and water activity of a finished batch measured7. Choose the container and what seals it8. Shortlist three co-packers or commercial kitchens9. Work out what one batch, and one unit, costs to make10. Set up lot codes and a recall plan11. Make a first full-size batch12. Get barcodes13. Draft the label with everything it has to say14. Set the wholesale and shelf price from the cost15. Sell it at a market before you scale16. Get product liability insurance17. Make the one-page sheet a buyer reads18. Name your first three stores

Where do I go from here?

How to sell beef jerky to storesEvery step, its reason and its typical costSelling food made at home in ArizonaAll of Arizona's lines, what you may make, register and outgrow
How do I find and choose a co-packer?5 min readHow do I work out my shelf life and best-by date?4 min readWhat should I charge a store for my product?5 min read

Check the rules for yours, then keep it

The rules check runs the same deterministic engine ShelfStep uses inside the app, on your answers, and quotes the sentences each rule rests on, with their links and the day ShelfStep read them. It does not decide which apply. It is free, needs no account and uses no AI. A ShelfStep workspace then keeps your plan, your records and the dates, free for one product.

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Something here out of date, or a state we should write up next? Email hello@shelfstep.com.