Shelf-stable products — baked goods, jams, candies, dry mixes, and more — are the foundation of Arizona's cottage food program and enjoy the widest selling freedoms of any product category.
A shelf-stable food is one that can be safely stored at room temperature without refrigeration. These are also called "non-potentially hazardous" or "non-TCS" foods — meaning they don't require Time/Temperature Control for Safety. In practical terms, if you can leave it on a counter or pantry shelf and it won't spoil, it's shelf-stable.
The science behind this comes down to two measurements that determine whether harmful bacteria can grow in a food product: water activity and pH. Arizona's regulations use both to draw the line between shelf-stable foods and TCS (perishable) foods.
Water activity (abbreviated Aw) measures how much moisture in a food is available for bacteria to use. A perfectly dry product has an Aw of 0, and pure water has an Aw of 1.0. The lower the number, the safer the product is at room temperature. pH measures acidity — the lower the number, the more acidic (and generally safer) the food is.
| Measurement | Shelf-Stable Threshold | Potentially Hazardous If… |
|---|---|---|
| Water Activity (Aw) | 0.85 or below | Above 0.85 |
| pH | 4.36 or below | Above 4.36 (up to 7.5) |
A food that has both high water activity (above 0.85) and a neutral-to-low-acid pH (above 4.36) is considered potentially hazardous and must be handled as a TCS food. Common shelf-stable products like cookies, hard candy, jams, and dry pasta naturally fall well below these thresholds. Products in a gray area — like certain frostings, nut butters, or borderline salsas — should be tested at a food safety lab.
Not sure about your product? The Arizona Department of Health Services recommends having borderline items tested at a food safety lab for pH and water activity. Lab results will definitively classify your product as shelf-stable or TCS. You can reach ADHS at CottageFood@azdhs.gov or (602) 364-3118 for guidance.
Arizona's cottage food program allows a wide range of shelf-stable items, including baked goods (breads, cookies, cakes, muffins, brownies, pies), fruit jams and jellies, candy and confections, dry mixes and seasoning blends, dry pasta, roasted and coated nuts, honey, roasted coffee beans, popcorn and kettle corn, cotton candy, granola and trail mix, dehydrated fruits and vegetables, shelf-stable salsas and sauces, fermented and pickled foods (shelf-stable versions), syrups, vinegars, and dried tea mixes. For the complete breakdown with conditions, see the What You Can Sell page.
This is a significant advantage over nearly every other state. In many states, cottage food sellers are capped at $25,000 to $75,000 per year; exceeding the cap requires transitioning to a licensed commercial facility. In Arizona, no such limit exists. Your cottage food registration remains valid regardless of revenue, as long as you continue to follow labeling, safety, and registration requirements.
A note on older sources: Some secondary websites incorrectly list Arizona's sales cap as $50,000 or $60,000. These figures are outdated or erroneous. The current statute (A.R.S. §§ 36-931–933) and authoritative sources including ADHS, the Institute for Justice, and Forrager all confirm there is no sales limit.
Shelf-stable (non-TCS, non-meat, non-dairy) cottage food products enjoy the broadest range of sales channels in Arizona. Here's what's available to you:
Sell directly to customers who come to your residence. No special permits beyond your ADHS registration.
Sell at any registered farmers market in Arizona. Display your certificate of registration at your booth.
Sell through your own website or third-party platforms. Ship anywhere within Arizona. All label info must appear in your listing.
Shelf-stable products (no meat/dairy) can be sold via DoorDash, UberEats, and other delivery platforms within Arizona.
Stores must display your products separately from commercial goods and post signage noting they are homemade. Products cannot be used as ingredients.
Restaurants can resell your packaged products but may not use them as ingredients in their own menu items.
Interstate sales are not allowed. All cottage food sales must stay within Arizona state lines. You cannot ship to out-of-state customers, sell at events in neighboring states, or distribute through national online marketplaces that ship across borders.
Arizona's cottage food program requires that all food preparation and storage take place within your primary residence. Here are the key rules for shelf-stable products:
Frostings and icings are allowed on shelf-stable baked goods, but some frosting recipes can push a product into TCS territory. Cream cheese frosting, custard-based fillings, and whipped cream toppings all contain ingredients with high water activity. The Arizona Department of Health Services provides a list of approved frosting ingredient substitutions — for example, using cream cheese powder instead of fresh cream cheese — to help you keep your decorated products shelf-stable. Check the ADHS Cottage Food Program website for their current frosting guidance under the "Special Processes" section.
Track your annual cottage food sales and monitor your business growth over time — with no cap to worry about in Arizona.
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