Michigan direct-to-consumer compliance guide, 2026

Coffee & Tea

Roasted coffee and dry tea blends are cottage foods; ready-to-drink and health-claim teas are not.

Cottage Food Eligible (Dry Only)

Three compliance steps

A
Keep the product dry and plain
Whole bean, ground and dry blends qualify. Anything brewed, bottled or concentrated is a beverage and needs a licensed facility.
B
Strip health claims from tea
MDARD treats herbal teas with dosing or wellness claims as dietary supplements. Describe flavor, not effects.
C
Label and stay under the cap
Use the cottage label statement, list ingredients and allergens, and track gross sales under $50,000 ($75,000 for $250+ items).

Item	Rule	Regulator
Roasted and ground coffee	Allowed as cottage food	MDARD
Dry tea mixes	Allowed as cottage food	MDARD
Dried herbal tea	Allowed only if labeled and advertised as conventional food with no health claims	MDARD
Tea with dosing or health claims	Dietary supplement: food establishment license required	MDARD
Brewed or bottled drinks	Not allowed as cottage food	MDARD
Sales tax	Packaged coffee and tea beans are food: generally exempt	MI Treasury

Not under cottage law. Ready-to-drink beverages need a licensed facility.

A wellness claim can make it a supplement under MDARD's view, which needs a food establishment license.

The cottage exemption covers sales and delivery within Michigan only.