Mercer County health inspector cautions about following rules in selling homemade food
BLUEFIELD, W.Va. (WVVA) – If you want to sell food cooked at home to the public, you better check first with the Mercer County Health Department.
Crystal Worley, Health Inspector for the Mercer County Health Department, told the Bluefield City Board Tuesday that anyone selling food to the public must follow the rules because it is all about safety.
Called Cottage food laws, Worley said that according to West Virginia Code, people are not allowed to sell foods that require temperature control unless a permit is obtained from the health department.
Food-borne illnesses from unrefrigerated or undercooked food like E. coli are dangerous and can be deadly.
Restaurants need to be inspected routinely and food trucks and other vendors selling food must get permits. But the only food items that can be sold from home are baked goods, like cakes, cookies and breads, as long as they do not include ingredients that require refrigeration, such as custard or cream cheese.
Worley said churches and other entities that sell food other than baked goods for fundraisers usually call the health department first so the kitchen used can be approved.
“We take safety to the top level,” she said.
To learn more about these regulations and what is required contact the Mercer County Health Department at 304-324-8367.
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