Riverside county will be the first in California to allow cooks to sell meals prepped in home kitchens. Other counties are taking a wait and see approach…as Capital Public Radio's Julia Mitric reports.
Starting June 6th, home cooks in Riverside will be able to apply for a permit to sell meals: up to 30 meals a day and 60 per week.
A law legalizing "micro-enterprise kitchens" went into effect in January. But it's still up to counties whether to "opt in" and shape their own health and safety rules.
Peter Ruddock of C.O.O.K. Alliance is working to persuade more local health officials to do so. But he says many are nervous.
AX/Ruddock: “Cutting chicken on a cutting board and then cutting raw vegetables. Restaurants are not required but as a practice have separate cutting boards. And we believe that with the food safety manager certificate, some training, some inspection, home cooks are going to do the right thing.”
There are active communities of home cooks throughout the state, but so far most counties are keeping permit plans on the back burner.
In Sacramento, I'm JM.
