Mississippi direct-to-consumer compliance, guide 3 of 24

Beverages

Juices, bottled drinks and other ready-to-drink products fall outside cottage food.

Licensed Facility Required

Not allowedunder the cottage food law

MSDHfood permit route

FDAjuice and bottled drink rules

Confirmspecifics with MSDH before launch

What is covered

A
Identify the product
Juice, tea, soda, kombucha and bottled water are each regulated differently. Write down exactly what you will bottle.
B
Contact MSDH
MSDH says products outside the cottage list need a license and permit. Ask which permit fits your drink and facility.
C
Plan the facility
Use an approved commercial kitchen or plant, then label to FDA rules and register for sales tax.

Item	Rule	Regulator
Fruit and vegetable juice	Expressly unapproved under cottage food; needs a license and permit	MSDH
Pasteurized foods	Unapproved under cottage food	MSDH
Juice safety	FDA juice HACCP rules may apply; ask MSDH whether a retail exemption fits	FDA / MSDH
Bottled water	Separate rules; not researched here	MSDH / FDA
Labeling	Federal food labeling and allergen rules apply	FDA
Sales tax	Prepared drinks are generally taxable; confirm with DOR	MS DOR

Fruit and vegetable juice is on the unapproved cottage list, so plan on an MSDH license and permit.

Fermented products need extra paperwork and process approval even in the acidified category. Ask MSDH before selling.

Mississippi publishes no single beverage rule sheet, so only the cottage exclusion was verified.