New law creates opportunities for Hawaii food entrepreneurs

The governor signs a Grassroot-backed bill that lets home cooks sell their products online, by mail and through third parties

from Grassroot Institute of Hawaii,  July 6, 2024

A bill supported by the Grassroot Institute of Hawaii was among almost a dozen bills relating to agriculture signed into law on Wednesday by Gov. Josh Green.

HB2144 frees local bakers and other food entrepreneurs to sell more of their yummy “cottage foods” from their home kitchens.

Until now, Hawaii residents could only sell homemade food in person. That meant no mailing homemade jam to another island or partnering with a local coffee shop to sell homemade bread or cookies, for example.

Both of those rules will go away because the new law directs the state Department of Health to allow people to sell homemade food in person, online, over the telephone and through third parties.

The new law does not allow the sale of certain potentially hazardous foods, such as meats, but it does open up new avenues for small businesses to grow.

You can read Grassroot’s testimony on the bill here.