Coffee & Tea
Dry roasted coffee and dried tea are shelf-stable; brewed or cold-brew drinks need licensing.
Cottage Food EligibleDryProducts only
LocalPermit from your town
NoneFederal registration
OrgUSDA label rules
What is covered and what needs a different path
What this guide covers
- Roasted whole-bean and ground coffee
- Loose dried tea and tea blends
- Dry cocoa and chai mixes (non-TCS)
- Reusable tea bags filled with dry tea
Needs a different path
- Cold brew and brewed coffee or tea sold bottled
- Specialty drinks with milk or syrup (TCS)
- Organic claims without USDA certification
- Wholesale to cafes without a DPH wholesale license
Three compliance steps
A
Apply for the permit
Apply to your city or town Board of Health for a Residential Kitchen (cottage food) permit. Fees are set locally; Boston lists $100.
B
Make only non-TCS foods
Foods that do not need time or temperature control for safety. Anything needing refrigeration, or a pH or water-activity process, moves to a licensed kitchen.
C
Label and sell direct
Sell directly to consumers. Label with name, address, ingredients, allergens, net weight and the residential-kitchen statement. Wholesale needs a DPH license.
Quick reference
| Item | Rule | Regulator |
|---|---|---|
| Roasted coffee | Non-TCS; allowed as a cottage food | 105 CMR 590.010(F) |
| Brewed or cold brew | Retail food permit or wholesale manufacturing | Board of Health / DPH |
| Blends | Ingredient label with allergens, net weight | FDA; 105 CMR 520 |
| Organic | Certified operations only | USDA NOP |
| Weights | Sold by weight on a sealed scale | MA Division of Standards |
Frequently asked questions
Can I roast coffee at home for sale?Packaged roasted coffee is a non-TCS food and fits the residential kitchen framework; confirm with your Board of Health.
Can I sell iced tea at a market?Not under a cottage permit. It needs a retail food permit.
Do I need a scale?Yes if sold by weight: use a sealed commercial scale.
Printable checklist
- Permit application filed
- Dry products only
- Allergens declared in blends
- Net weight on label
- Scale sealed
- Origin or organic claims substantiated
- Pets excluded in roasting area