Alaska's 2024 Homemade Food Rule (HB 251) is one of the most permissive in the country. Both shelf-stable and refrigerated foods are allowed — but some categories have conditions, and certain products are off-limits entirely. Here's the full breakdown.
Unlike most states where cottage food only covers shelf-stable items, Alaska's Homemade Food Rule distinguishes between non-potentially hazardous foods (non-PHF) and potentially hazardous foods (PHF). Non-PHF foods — things like baked goods, jams, and pickled vegetables — don't require temperature control to be safe and can be sold through a wide range of channels including third-party retailers and online. PHF foods — cheesecake, prepared meals, fresh juice, anything with dairy or meat — must be kept at safe temperatures and can only be sold directly from producer to consumer.
A food is considered potentially hazardous (TCS — time/temperature control for safety) if it requires refrigeration or time control to prevent the growth of harmful bacteria. The Alaska DEC provides guidance using two key measurements: pH (acidity level) and water activity (aw). Generally, foods with a pH of 4.6 or below and/or water activity of 0.85 or below are classified as non-PHF. Products that fall outside these parameters are PHF. If you're unsure about your product, the DEC's Determining Non-Potentially Hazardous Foods resource page can help, and UAF Cooperative Extension agents offer one-on-one consultation.
Anchorage note: The Municipality of Anchorage aligned its food code with the state's Homemade Food Rule in November 2025. Producers in Anchorage should check the Anchorage Health Department for any remaining local requirements.
Despite Alaska's deep ties to wild-caught seafood and game, these foods carry specific food safety risks (parasites, botulism, contamination) that require separate regulatory oversight. Seafood is regulated under Alaska's separate seafood program. Game meat from animals like moose, caribou, and bear cannot be sold as food in Alaska due to federal and state wildlife regulations. If you're interested in selling seafood or game-based products, see our Special Categories guide for alternative licensing paths.
If your homemade product contains meat or poultry, those ingredients must come from a USDA-inspected source. You can buy USDA-inspected beef, pork, chicken, or turkey from a grocery store or licensed processor and use it in your prepared meals, but you cannot use home-slaughtered or uninspected meat. For poultry, producers with 1,000 or fewer birds may sell under certain USDA poultry inspection exemptions — details are in the Special Categories guide.
Check if your specific product is allowed in Alaska and find out which rules apply to it.
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