VIGO COUNTY, Ind. (WTWO/WAWV) — Officials with the Vigo County Health Department are reminding residents that if they plan to sell food products from their home, they need to first register with the department.
The release notes the difference between Home-Based Vendors, food establishments, and wholesalers. Home-Based Vendors, or HBVs are individuals who have grown, raised, or made non-potentially hazardous food products in their primary residence, or a permanent structure located on the same property as their residence.
HBVs may sell their products in person, over the phone, through the internet, at a farmer’s market, or a roadside stand. Products must be delivered to the end-user, items sold with the intention of re-sale by the customer require the person first selling the products to be licensed as a wholesaler.
Why is registering with the Vigo County Health Department important? This is to ensure that all products are created and maintained in a safe environment to avoid potential sickness.
Vigo County Health Department news release
This notice does not apply to eggs, poultry, and rabbits which may only be sold at farmer’s markets and roadside stands.
Below is a chart from the Vigo County Health Department covering what types of food may be sold from Home-Based Vendors.
| Food Type | Foods that Shall be sold as a HBV | Foods that Shall NOT be sold as an HBV |
|---|---|---|
| Baked goods | Cookies, cakes, fruit pies, cupcakes, bars, yeast breads, fruit breads, and baguettes | Foods that contain meat, poultry, aquatic animals, non-baked dairy (cheese, butter, yogurt, cream cheese), non-baked egg containing products |
| Candies and confections | Caramels, chocolate, fudge, peanut brittle, chocolate covered fruits, bon bons, buckeyes, chocolate covered nuts | Commercially prepared products (prepackaged items or drinks) |
| Fruit and vegetables | Unprocessed, whole and uncut items such as cherries, blackberries, cranberries, grapefruit, strawberries, oranges, blueberries, plums, tomatoes, corn, lettuce, green beans, peppers, etc. Fruit-based jams and jellies Fermented vegetables that do not require acidification and do not require refrigeration | Canned products that are shelf-stable and in hermetically sealed containers such as salsas, chutney, chow-chow, and canned vegetables. Pickled vegetables (beets, pickles) that are shelf-stable Cut tomatoes and cut melons Garlic in oil mixtures, herb and oil mixtures Raw seed sprouts Fruit butters (i.e. pear, pumpkin) No sugar added jam/jelly No low sugar jam/jelly |
| Meat, poultry, and seafood | None identified | Canned products that are shelf-stable and in hermetically sealed containers such as canned vegetables, canned meats, and canned seafood. |
| Tree nuts and legumes | Peanuts, almonds, cashews, walnuts, pistachios, etc. | Reduced oxygen packaging is not allowed (i.e. no vacuum sealed foods) |
| Syrups | Honey, molasses, sorghum, maple syrup | None identified |
HBVs must register with the Health Department a minimum of 15-days prior to market.
For more information or questions regarding what is and isn’t allowed, the department asks folks contact Shelby Jackson at 812-231-6227, or by email here.
