Mississippi direct-to-consumer compliance, guide 12 of 24

Herbs & Spices

Dried spices and dry rubs are cottage foods; herbs in oil are not.

Cottage Food Eligible
$35,000gross annual sales cap
Dry onlydried spices and dry rubs
Bannedfresh herbs or garlic in oil
In persondirect sales only

What is covered

  • Dried spices and dry rubs
  • Dry baking mixes with spices
  • Mustard (cottage list)

Needs a different path

  • Garlic or fresh herbs in oil
  • Fresh-cut herbs sold as produce without checking the Produce Safety Rule
  • Shipped spices or online sales

Three compliance steps

  1. A

    Keep it dry

    Make blends from dried ingredients only. Skip oils and fresh herbs, which carry botulism risk.

  2. B

    Label ingredients

    List each ingredient and sub-ingredient, declare allergens like sesame or mustard where present, and show net weight.

  3. C

    Sell face to face

    Use the cottage disclaimer and sell in Mississippi directly to final customers.

Quick reference

ItemRuleRegulator
Dried spicesAllowed under cottage foodMSDH
Dry rubsAllowed under cottage foodMSDH
Herbs in oilUnapproved; botulism riskMSDH
Fresh herbsFarm product under Produce Safety Rule exemptionsMDAC
AllergensDeclare the eight majors; wheat, soy and tree nuts can hide in blendsFDA
LabelCottage label with 10-point disclaimerMSDH

Common questions

Can I sell dried herbs I grew?

Dried herbs fit the dried spice category on the cottage list. Label ingredients and net weight.

Can I infuse oil with rosemary?

No. Garlic and fresh herbs in oil are on the unapproved list.

Does a spice blend need nutrition facts?

Not unless you make a nutrition claim.

Printable checklist