kevmel Senior Member Joined: 26 Dec 2009 Posts: 3 Location: Gardner Expertise: Pro Roaster
Roaster: Caffe Coffee
Posted Fri Sep 28, 2012, 5:53pm Subject: Coffee Description---Is It a Food?
Hi; I am going for a home based business in my city in Massachusetts. Our local board of health is telling me that I need a residential kitchen permit (which they don't even offer) as they think that coffee is a food and we need an "official" kitchen. Technically, they don't even understand roasting, so I will probably need to supply them with a lot of info. Does anyone know of any literature or resources that defines what coffee is (food, etc.) and if it is actually a food while it's in the green bean state or after it's roasted? What I'm trying to do is prove to them that what we do doesn't mandate that we have a kitchen, but more of an industrial processing facility. Thanks for your help ! Kevin
Posted Fri Sep 28, 2012, 7:16pm Subject: Re: Coffee Description---Is It a Food?
Can't speak for Massachusetts, but my research into roasting businesses here in California indicates that you do need the same permits and meet the same health standards as any other food processing facility. Coffee is certainly a food, and green coffee beans need to meet the same health standards as any other agricultural product, like, say, raw wheat before it's ground into flour and processed into bread. I would tend to doubt that Mass. is much different.
kevmel Senior Member Joined: 26 Dec 2009 Posts: 3 Location: Gardner Expertise: Pro Roaster
Roaster: Caffe Coffee
Posted Fri Sep 28, 2012, 7:28pm Subject: Re: Coffee Description---Is It a Food?
Thanks for the input. I'll see what other responses come in and proceed accordingly. When it all shakes out, the "local authority" has jurisdiction, so they'll get what they want.
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