Allow the Sale of Home Cooked Meals in San Joaquin County!
San Joaquin Board of Supervisors
A New Law Legalized Home Cooked Food Sales:
Last year, the California State Legislature unanimously passed the Homemade Food Operations Act (AB 626)— the first law permitting home cooked food sales in the United States! With a Microenterprise Home Kitchen (MEHKO) permit, cooks can now sell prepared meals and other foods directly from their home kitchens, up to $50,000 per year. We hope the total cost of starting a MEHKO will be under $1000.
This new law provides a groundbreaking, low-barrier opportunity for home cooks to start a small food business. It is also the next phase of the local food movement and healthy, affordable food access!
However, our County must Opt-in to Participate:
Our County Board of Supervisors must vote to opt-in and begin issuing permits to home cooks. Signing this petition will let them know that their constituents want them to begin issuing permits to home cooks as soon as possible!
San Joaquin County Leadership— Mariza Ruelas:
Our San Joaquin County Lead Mariza Ruelas has already secured the support of one Supervisor who says he is often told he should sell home cooked food himself! After facing criminal charges herself, Mariza is deeply committed to helping other cooks get permitted and avoid the challenges she has faced. She's heard tons of enthusiasm from folks who are struggling to make ends meet and hope to use their cooking skills to legally make money to pay bills and support their families.
Mariza's own case has been extensively covered in the news and she is happy to connect with other supporters to answer any questions.
About the C.O.O.K. Alliance:
The C.O.O.K. Alliance is leading a national movement to legalize and normalize home cooked food sales. We believe that home cooking helps build healthy, resilient communities and create economic opportunities for the people that need them most.
We are deeply committed to ensuring that opportunities in this new gig economy empower cooks with greater dignity, equity, and ownership than they have traditionally found in the food industry. If done right, we believe the positive impacts of home food microenterprise reverberate from cooks into their communities and help rebuild networks of understanding and non-financial support.
Petition by
To:
San Joaquin Board of Supervisors
From:
[Your Name]
We are writing to encourage you to take leadership and become one of the first counties in California to opt into AB 626, the Homemade Food Operations Act. This new law allows cooks to apply for a Microenterprise Home Kitchen Operation permit (MEHKO permit) to sell food made in their home kitchen.
Home food microenterprises will help build healthy, resilient communities and create economic opportunities for the people that need them most. Many cooks in underserved communities— primarily women, immigrants, and people of color— are already selling food informally to generate extra income or incubate a new food enterprises. Without fear of criminalization, home cooks will be able to formalize their businesses, dignify their work, and openly access training and education.
This permit also improves healthy affordable food access in our County (especially in food deserts) and protects consumers. To get a permit, home kitchens must be inspected by health inspectors and cooks must be trained to follow important health, training, and sanitation standards just like food trucks and restaurants.
For these reasons, I support the implementation of AB 626, Microenterprise Home Kitchen Operations, in our County. Thank you for your leadership in bringing this opportunity to cooks and our communities!