Federal and Missouri laws regulate food preparation in Missouri.
To protect consumers from unsafe, unsanitary food, the state of Missouri has set in place a number of food manufacturing requirements that producers must meet before they can sell their goods. The Missouri food requirements are the same for the small, independent businessperson selling homemade goods as for large commercial operations. By setting commercial food requirements for the small-business person, Missouri has set a high standard for food produced and sold in the state.
Licensed Kitchen
Missouri food manufacturing requirements make it necessary to prepare commercial food in a kitchen other than one used for family meals. The kitchen must be in a separate location from the home. It's not legal to share equipment with the commercial kitchen and the home kitchen. Refrigeration and heat sources must be available to keep food at the proper temperature. In lieu of building a separate kitchen, commercial food requirements allow the preparation of food in a commercial restaurant during the restaurant's off hours. Another option is to have a commercial cannery prepare the food for sale. The licensed kitchen must follow Good Manufacturing Practices, or GMPs, established by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for food handling and sanitation, and is subject to periodic health inspections.
Sanitation Requirements
Missouri food requirements make it illegal for food workers to touch prepared food with their bare hands. The employees must make every effort to use cooking utensils or sanitary serving items, such as single-use gloves or deli paper, as they cook and serve the food. Raw food must remain separate from cooked food to avoid contamination. Each food should have its own preparation area, and if it doesn't, the preparation area should undergo a thorough cleaning between foods. Cleaning of cooking utensils and food services requires both hot water and sanitation chemicals. U.S. Department of Agriculture Sanitation Standard Operation Procedures (SSOP), should be in place. All employees should have SSOP training.
Labeling
Missouri food manufacturing requirements establish a number of labeling requirements. The food undergoes testing in an independent lab for contents, shelf life and nutritional value. This information must be available to the consumer at the point of sale. Allergen information must meet FDA guidelines. Exemption from labeling requirements is available for Missouri food manufacturers who sell less than 100,000 units of food in a year, or who employ fewer than 100 full-time workers. Food sold directly to consumers is also exempt.
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