New North Dakota Cottage Law signed by the Governor

BISMARCK, N.D. (KMOT) - A Senate Bill proposing changes to North Dakota’s cottage food law was signed into law Thursday.

Senate Bill 2386, which passed in both the House and Senate this week and has been signed by the Governor, allows for goods to be shipped out of state.

The state’s Cottage Foods Act allows people to sell homemade food products without having to be inspected.

While this may give many bakers and farmers freedom, North Dakota was one of the very few states that didn’t allow businesses to ship their goods out of state. But now, not only can they ship out of state, but they can also take orders over the phone and online.

Sam Wagner with the Dakota Resource Council shared in a testimony to the House earlier this month that the internet is now a major share of food sales.

“The internet’s total share of U.S. food sales was under 10% in 2007. By 2016, it increased to about 16%. By 2027, it’s projected to be about 21% of all food sales,” said Wagner.

The selling of uninspected meat and shipping of poultry over state lines is a violation of both state and federal law.

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