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Selling pesto in Georgia

Sources last read Oct 8, 2026

What Georgia's own pages say about making pesto 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 Pesto in its tub.
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 pesto at home in Georgia?

Georgia's own pages name pesto, or foods like it, among what Georgia says a home kitchen may not make. ShelfStep found these lines by the words they use; whether they cover your product is for the Georgia Department of Agriculture to say. Those lines, as the state writes them:

  • Georgia's Cottage Food rules: what may be made at homeGDA, HB 398 – Cottage Food Law, O.C.G.A. 26-2-470 et seq. (as passed) says:“The term 'non-potentially hazardous foods' includes, but is not limited to, baked goods such as loaf breads, rolls, biscuits and cakes, except those whose fillings require refrigeration or have high moisture content; jams, jellies, and preserves, except fruit butters when their commercial sterility may be affected by reduced sugar or pectin levels; uncut fruits and vegetables; dried fruits; dry herbs, seasonings, and mixtures; cereals, trail mixes, and granola; coated and uncoated nuts; vinegars and flavored vinegars; dill pickles; confections; fudge; dry soup mixes; roasted coffee beans; dry pasta; and popcorn, popcorn balls, and cotton candy.”GDA, HB 398 – Cottage Food Law, O.C.G.A. 26-2-470 et seq. (as passed) · Read Oct 8, 2026

What rules does pesto come under beyond Georgia's?

Outside a home kitchen, ShelfStep's plan reads pesto as a refrigerated or frozen food. The plan's own line for it, a default and not a law:

ShelfStep’s plan default, not a lawFrozen or refrigerated (non-meat): cold chain, shelf-life / challenge study, "keep frozen/refrigerated" labeling.21 CFR 114.3

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 pesto
  • Acidified foods kept under refrigeration21 CFR 114.3(b) says:“and foods that are stored, distributed, and retailed under refrigeration are excluded from the coverage of this part.”21 CFR 114.3(b) · Read Oct 8, 2026
Source to check: FDA food facility registration
  • FDA's definition of a food facility21 CFR 1.227 says:“Facility means any establishment, structure, or structures under one ownership at one general physical location, or, in the case of a mobile facility, traveling to multiple locations, that manufactures/processes, packs, or holds food for consumption in the United States. ... The private residence of an individual is not a facility.”21 CFR 1.227 · Read Oct 8, 2026

Where may food made at home be sold in Georgia?

  • Georgia's Cottage Food rules: where it may be soldGDA, Cottage Food FAQ says:“Yes. Under House Bill 398, Cottage Food Operators are permitted to conduct sales to the end consumer within Georgia. Additionally, they may sell their Cottage Food Products to other retailers and restaurants. It remains the responsibility of the Cottage Food Operator to ensure compliance with all applicable state and federal regulations. Operators should be aware that engaging in interstate commerce may subject them to oversight by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Should FDA regulations apply, a Manufactured Food Establishment License would be required; however, this license cannot be issued for foods prepared in a domestic kitchen.”GDA, Cottage Food FAQ · Read Oct 8, 2026
  • Georgia's Cottage Food rules: where it may be soldGDA, Cottage Food Update: House Bill 398 & Frequently Asked Questions says:“Opt Out. Under HB 398, each city or county in Georgia may choose to pass an ordinance prohibiting cottage food operators from selling cottage food items through third-party vendors (ex. – grocery stores, restaurants, or convenience stores) within its jurisdiction. ... HB 398 also prevents cities or counties from prohibiting commercial delivery companies from delivering cottage food items.”GDA, Cottage Food Update: House Bill 398 & Frequently Asked Questions · Read Oct 8, 2026
  • Georgia's Cottage Food rules: where it may be soldGDA, HB 398 – Cottage Food Law, O.C.G.A. 26-2-470 et seq. (as passed) says:“Cottage food production operations may only sell, or offer to sell, food items directly to a person, including online and by mail order, or to retail food sales establishments, including grocery stores and restaurants.”GDA, HB 398 – Cottage Food Law, O.C.G.A. 26-2-470 et seq. (as passed) · Read Oct 8, 2026
  • Georgia's Cottage Food rules: where it may be soldGDA, HB 398 – Cottage Food Law, O.C.G.A. 26-2-470 et seq. (as passed) says:“(d) In addition to the labeling requirements provided in subsections (a) and (b) of this Code section, if the cottage food item is sold by a third-party vendor, the item shall be displayed in a separate section of the store or in a separate display case from non-cottage food items. The third-party vendor shall conspicuously label the separate section or display case as containing cottage food items that are exempt from state inspection.”GDA, HB 398 – Cottage Food Law, O.C.G.A. 26-2-470 et seq. (as passed) · Read Oct 8, 2026

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

  • Georgia's Cottage Food rules: the home-made labelGDA, HB 398 – Cottage Food Law, O.C.G.A. 26-2-470 et seq. (as passed) says:“(a) Except as provided in subsection (c) of this Code section, a cottage food operator or seller shall provide the following information to consumers of a cottage food item: ... (2) The following statement in at least 10 point font: 'This product was produced at a residential property that is exempt from state inspection. This product may contain allergens.'”GDA, HB 398 – Cottage Food Law, O.C.G.A. 26-2-470 et seq. (as passed) · Read Oct 8, 2026
  • Georgia's Cottage Food rules: the home-made labelGDA, HB 398 – Cottage Food Law, O.C.G.A. 26-2-470 et seq. (as passed) says:“(1)(A) The business name, address, and telephone number of the cottage food operator; or (B) A cottage food operator or seller may elect, in lieu of providing an address pursuant to subparagraph (A) of this paragraph, to provide an identification number to be provided by the department upon written request; and”GDA, HB 398 – Cottage Food Law, O.C.G.A. 26-2-470 et seq. (as passed) · Read Oct 8, 2026
  • Georgia's Cottage Food rules: the home-made labelGDA, HB 398 – Cottage Food Law, O.C.G.A. 26-2-470 et seq. (as passed) says:“(b) Such information shall be provided: (1) On a label affixed to the package, if the cottage food item is packaged; (2) On a label affixed to the container, if the cottage food item is offered for sale from a bulk container; (3) On a placard displayed at the point of sale, if the cottage food item is neither packaged nor offered for sale from a bulk container; or (4) On the webpage on which the cottage food item is offered for sale, if the cottage food item is offered for sale on the internet.”GDA, HB 398 – Cottage Food Law, O.C.G.A. 26-2-470 et seq. (as passed) · Read Oct 8, 2026
  • Georgia's Cottage Food rules: the home-made labelGDA, HB 398 – Cottage Food Law, O.C.G.A. 26-2-470 et seq. (as passed) says:“(c)(1) If the cottage food item is sold by telephone or custom order, the seller may choose not to display the information required by subsection (a) of this Code section but shall disclose to consumers that the cottage food item: (A) Is produced at a residential property that is exempt from state inspection; and (B) May contain allergens. (2) The seller shall have the information required by paragraphs (1) through (3) of subsection (a) of this Code section readily available and shall provide it to consumers upon request.”GDA, HB 398 – Cottage Food Law, O.C.G.A. 26-2-470 et seq. (as passed) · Read Oct 8, 2026

How do I get pesto into a store in Georgia?

  • Georgia's Cottage Food rules: what applies beyond the home-kitchen rulesGDA, Cottage Food FAQ says:“Food manufacturing operations conducted in a rented kitchen (or Shared Kitchen) would require a Food Sales Establishment License to sell your products.”GDA, Cottage Food FAQ · Read Oct 8, 2026

From there, ShelfStep's standard plan for a refrigerated or frozen food has 20 steps. The first 6 help you find out where and how pesto 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.

    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.

  6. 6.

    Get a Process Authority's letter on how it is made safe

    Ask a qualified reviewer which process and storage conditions your product needs. This is where you ask someone qualified, a Process Authority, to put in writing how the product is made safe. Buyers, insurers and inspectors may ask for that document, and it cannot be obtained after the fact for product you have already sold.

    In the plan: Needs the pH first. Their letter sets out the process they ask you to hold to, and the storage line for your label.

Every step, with its reason and what it typically costs, is on the pesto 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. Have the pH and water activity of a finished batch measured6. Get a Process Authority's letter on how it is made safe7. Look into FDA registration8. Choose the container and what seals it9. Shortlist three co-packers or commercial kitchens10. Work out what one batch, and one unit, costs to make11. Set up lot codes and a recall plan12. Make a first full-size batch13. Find out how long it keeps14. Get barcodes15. Draft the label with everything it has to say16. Set the wholesale and shelf price from the cost17. Sell it at a market before you scale18. Get product liability insurance19. Make the one-page sheet a buyer reads20. Name your first three stores

Where do I go from here?

How to sell pesto to storesEvery step, its reason and its typical costSelling food made at home in GeorgiaAll of Georgia'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 readDo I need to register with the FDA to sell my food product?4 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.