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Riverside County Allows Meals to be Sold from Home Kitchens

Riverside County Board of Supervisors adopts new ordinance that allows meals to be sold from home kitchens

County of Riverside, Ca – Starting June 6, it will be legal in Riverside County for people to operate a home-based food business.

Homeowners must go through the county’s Environmental Health Department to get approval and permits prior to starting their business. There are restrictions as to how many meals can be served and how much income can be made.

“Since I was a kid and to this day, neighbors have prepared meals from their home and people come over,” said Supervisor V. Manuel Perez, who strongly backed the ordinance. “Home kitchens have been happening now for generations and many successful businesses have started out this way. This is an opportunity for home chefs to start a business and potentially transition into a commercial kitchen or restaurant. We now have a good system in place that sets guidelines, provides training and promotes safety.”

Home kitchens will be inspected by Environmental Health Specialists prior to being allowed to open for business. Inspections will then occur yearly when they renew their permit and if any complaints are received from the public.

“As the first jurisdiction to pass a local ordinance allowing regulation of micro enterprise home kitchen operations, we can appreciate the huge responsibility of trying to balance the desires for increased home- business opportunities while striving to protect the health and safety of our consumers,” said Keith Jones, Director of Environmental Health.

Permitted home kitchens will not be required to display letter grades as required by restaurants. Inspection reports will be available online and consumers should always ask about a current Environmental Health permit prior to purchasing any food.

To get more information, visit the Environmental Health website  http://www.rivcoeh.org/Portals/0/documents/guidance/food_fixed/MHKO%20IFB.pdf?ver=2019-05-07-135458-603 or call 888-722-4234.

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