Freeze-dried foods and cottage food products

Using freeze-dried foods as ingredients in cottage foods

Cottage food producers may be interested in using freeze-dried foods as ingredients in or decorations on their products. Certain freeze-dried foods can be used as ingredients or decorative toppings if food safety conditions are met:

• Freeze-dried candies can be used as a decorative topping as long as the final water activity (aw) of the entire finished product is 0.85 or below.
  • Candy is a non-potentially hazardous food before freeze-drying.
  • Use safe food handling practices to minimize the risk of contamination when preparing, decorating, and packaging cottage foods. 
• The food is rehydrated, cooked to its minimum internal temperature during preparation, and used as an ingredient in cottage food. The final cottage food product must meet the law’s requirements for non-potentially hazardous foods. 
• Freeze-dried cut fruit cannot safely be used as a decorative topping for cottage foods. Cut fruit is a potentially hazardous food that requires refrigeration for food safety. 
• Freeze-dried meat, poultry, fish, and seafood are never allowed as ingredients in cottage foods. 

Examples of freeze-dried foods that can be used as ingredients include:

• Freeze-dried fruit or vegetables added to a batter before baking. 
• Freeze-dried fruit or vegetable powders used for flavoring or coloring added to a product before cooking or baking. 
• Freeze-dried milk or milk alternatives that are rehydrated and cooked during the preparation of the cottage food.
• Freeze-dried eggs that are rehydrated and cooked during the preparation of the cottage food. 

Making and selling freeze-dried foods as cottage foods

Freeze-drying does not inactivate (kill) illness-causing microorganisms (bacteria, viruses, molds). Foods that are considered potentially hazardous are not made non-potentially hazardous after freeze-drying. See the freeze-drying food page for details on the science and processing of freeze-drying foods. 

Certain freeze-dried foods may be sold as cottage foods if they are non-potentially hazardous. 

• Whole produce must receive an appropriate pre-treatment before freeze-drying. Freeze-dried cut produce is not allowed for sale as cottage food. 
• The final water activity of the non-potentially hazardous freeze-dried food is 0.85 or below.  
• The cottage food is appropriately labeled. 
• Foods that require refrigeration or hot holding for food safety before freeze-drying are not allowed for sale as cottage food.