Although friends and family are great for product feedback, you really need to test the market and discover if others will like your product enough to purchase it time and time again. Testing the market will require you to conduct consumer research such as product sampling, gifting, and product reviews. But, first, you must make sure your product is safe. County, state, and federal agencies have layers of regulations that help to ensure our food is produced, processed, and packaged in a manner that is safe for public consumption. The type of food and how it is prepared or processed will determine which agency has the regulatory jurisdiction. Any product that is packaged and processed for sale will be regulated by the state’s department of health and/or department of agriculture. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration provides rules for food ingredients, packaging, and labeling. In addition, for any product that is transported across state lines and contains meat or poultry, the U.S. Department of Agriculture provides additional regulations. Contact your state department of health to get you started on the rules for your state. You will need to process your product in a health-inspected kitchen, and follow the FDA's recommended Current Good Manufacturing Practices (CGMPs). You must be willing to have unannounced inspections of your facilities and processing procedures that check for cleanliness, correct processes, temperature controls, and potentials for cross contamination, to name a few. You will also need to work with a testing lab to test the quality and develop nutritional analysis of your product. If you decide not to pursue the business but still want to provide your product as a gift for friends and family, you will want to make sure you follow good canning procedures as recommended by the National Center for Home Food Preservation. Here are some additional resources to check out as you think about starting your business: • Penn State University, Food Entrepreneur Resources: Penn State University, Food Entrepreneur Resources. • University of Tennessee: "Getting Started in a Food Manufacturing Business in Tennessee". • Alabama Cooperative Extension System: "Starting a Food Processing Business? What You Should Know Before You Get Started".

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