Dried culinary herbs, spice blends, and seasoning mixes sold direct in Iowa
Dried herbs and spice blends are classic non-TCS dry goods and qualify for Iowa's cottage food exemption with no license required.
Iowa's own definition of TCS food specifically calls out garlic-in-oil mixtures that haven't been modified to prevent pathogen growth — a dry herb blend is fine, but the moment you're bottling herbs or garlic suspended in oil, you likely need a licensed or acidified-food pathway instead.
List your contact info, the common name, full ingredients, allergen flags (mustard and sesame are common ones in spice blends), and the exemption statement.
| Item | Rule | Regulator |
|---|---|---|
| Dried herbs, loose or jarred | Cottage food eligible; no license | Iowa Code 137F.20 |
| Dry spice blends, rubs | Cottage food eligible; no license | Iowa Code 137F.20 |
| Garlic-in-oil / herb-in-oil (unmodified) | Treated as TCS — needs licensed/acidified pathway | Iowa Code 137F.1 (TCS definition) |
| Labeling | Name/contact, common name, ingredients, allergens, exemption statement | Iowa Code 137F.20(2) |
| Fresh herb paste/pesto (refrigerated) | Not cottage food eligible | DIAL |
Only if it's been modified (typically acidified) so it can no longer support bacterial growth, and you can document that — plain garlic suspended in oil is specifically flagged as a TCS risk in Iowa's food safety definitions.
No — like other dried cottage foods, spice blends need labeling compliance but not a license or food handler certification.
Mustard and sesame are common hidden allergens in seasoning mixes — check every ingredient against the nine major allergens before finalizing your label.
That's a wholesale sale, which cottage food doesn't cover — you'd need a licensed food establishment or co-packing arrangement instead.