Milled flour, whole grains, and grain blends sold direct to Iowa customers
Whole grains and milled flour are textbook non-TCS dry goods and fit squarely into Iowa's cottage food exemption, with no license needed for direct sale.
Include your name and contact information, the common name (e.g., "stone-ground yellow cornmeal"), full ingredients if it's a blend, and the exemption statement.
If you also sell grain as livestock feed, keep that inventory and labeling distinct — feed products fall under Iowa's Commercial Feed Law, not the food cottage food exemption.
| Item | Rule | Regulator |
|---|---|---|
| Whole grains, milled flour, cornmeal | Cottage food eligible; no license | Iowa Code 137F.20 |
| Grain blends, grits | Cottage food eligible; no license | Iowa Code 137F.20 |
| Labeling | Name/contact, common name, ingredients, exemption statement | Iowa Code 137F.20(2) |
| Feed-grade grain for animals | Falls under Commercial Feed Law, not food cottage food | IDALS Feed & Fertilizer Bureau |
| Wholesale to mills/bakeries | Requires separate commercial arrangement/licensing | DIAL |
No specific milling permit exists under Iowa's food rules for direct-to-consumer dry flour; follow the standard cottage food labeling and sales requirements instead.
Yes, but keep the two product lines and labels clearly separate, since feed intended for animals is regulated under an entirely different law (Commercial Feed Law) than grain sold as human food.
Dry, shelf-stable powdered dairy or egg ingredients can generally be listed as ingredients in a dry mix, but double-check the finished product doesn't become TCS and that all allergens are flagged.
No sales cap under Iowa's cottage food law — the product type, not the volume, determines eligibility.