Colorado expands home cooking rules to include tamales
Summary and headline written by AI from the source article. How we work
In Colorado, Governor Jared Polis signed a law allowing residents to sell homemade tamales, burritos, and tortas, broadening the state’s rules for home-cooked food.
State Representatives Ryan Gonzalez and Monica Duran, along with State Senators Robert Rodriguez and Byron Pelton, sponsored the bill, which goes into effect on January 1, 2027.
Previously, Colorado’s “cottage food laws” focused on shelf-stable items, but the new law permits direct sales of refrigerated foods as long as they are transported for under two hours and change hands only once. The law significantly increases the annual sales limit for home-based food businesses. Colorado raised the yearly revenue cap from $10,000 to $150,000, potentially enabling side businesses to become established local companies.
Cooks must register with the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment and receive a registration number before they can begin selling. By including prepared meals like tamales, Colorado aims to expand food choices and cultural representation within its local food systems. The change could also lower startup costs for cooks by removing the need for a commercial kitchen and strengthen community-based food access, potentially addressing areas with limited fresh food options.
These changes occur alongside other shifts in state food policies and market forces, such as rising tomato prices and concerns about food packaging.
