Expert: Chris Manley - 1/23/2009

Question
A friend of mine has a cafe and has asked me to bake cup cakes for her business in a very small way - couple of dozen every 2 days.  What regulations would I need to know of please?

Answer
Some general requirements:

-All food sold in a retail food establishment must be from an approved source.  This typically means you cannot make food in your home and then sell it at a licensed establishment.  

-Most cup cakes would be considered non-potentially hazardous once baked, depending on topping, and do not require temperature control, but must be protected from contamination during storage, display and service.   

Health Department regulations can vary significantly from State to State, and from County to County, so I would encourage you to ask the local Health Department as well.