HB 1033: Expanding the Colorado Cottage Foods Act - Colorado

Final Act → Signed Act · 5 edits · Jun 4, 2026

MODERATE

This bill expands the 'Tamale Act' to allow home kitchen producers to sell time-and-temperature-controlled foods like tamales and burritos, provided they limit their inventory to five variations of such products at once. It also raises the annual revenue cap for eligible cottage food producers from $100,000 to $150,000 and clarifies that meat products used in these foods must be federally inspected or exempt from inspection. The changes aim to support small food businesses while maintaining food safety standards through specific packaging, labeling, and operational requirements.

Scope change

The bill's scope was expanded to include non-potentially hazardous foods that require time and temperature control for safety (such as tamales and burritos), whereas previously the act primarily covered foods that did not require refrigeration.

SCOPE

Added permission for home kitchen producers to sell packaged foods requiring time and temperature control for safety, such as tamales, burritos, and tortas, with a limit of five variations of such products at any given time.

ELIGIBILITY

Increased the maximum annual net gross revenue threshold for eligible cottage food producers from $100,000 to $150,000.

REQUIREMENT

Added a requirement that any meat or meat product used in the production of these foods must be federally inspected or satisfy an exemption from inspection.

Updated labeling requirements to include a website address provided by the department for reporting food-borne illnesses and verifying producer registration status.

TECHNICAL

Corrected formatting and text errors in the statute, including fixing typos and adjusting indentation for clarity.

Rerevised → Final Act · 6 edits · May 14, 2026

MODERATE

This bill significantly expands the Colorado Cottage Foods Act to allow producers to sell refrigerated foods and products containing meat, provided they meet stricter safety standards. It raises the annual revenue cap from $10,000 to $150,000 and introduces mandatory food safety training specifically focused on time and temperature control for those selling higher-risk items. The changes aim to increase economic opportunities for small food producers while enhancing public health protections through new labeling requirements and enforcement powers.

Scope change

The bill expands the scope of allowable sales to include time/temperature-controlled foods (like tamales and burritos) and meat products, whereas the previous version was limited to non-potentially hazardous foods that do not require refrigeration.

REQUIREMENT

Mandatory food safety training is now required for producers selling time/temperature-controlled foods, specifically covering time and temperature control protocols.

New labeling requirements include a website address for consumers to report foodborne illnesses and verify producer registration status.

Producers selling time/temperature-controlled foods must maintain a list of their specific food products with the department or health agency upon request.

Producers are prohibited from making bare-hand contact with ready-to-eat foods sold under the act.

ELIGIBILITY

The net revenue cap for producers was increased from $10,000 to $150,000 per year, and the cap will now be adjusted annually for inflation.

ENFORCEMENT

Health agencies are now authorized to impose fines and recover inspection costs for violations of the expanded cottage foods rules.

Revised → Rerevised · 3 edits · May 12, 2026

MINOR

The bill header was updated from 'Revised' to 'Rerevised' to reflect that all amendments have been adopted in the Second House. Additionally, a new header was added indicating the bill is in its '3rd Reading Unamended' stage as of May 12, 2026, in the Senate. The Senate sponsorship list was significantly expanded to include eleven new co-sponsors. The substantive text regarding meat inspection requirements was removed, likely because the bill's content was replaced or the section was renumbered in this version.

Scope change

The bill's substantive scope regarding meat inspection appears to have been removed or restructured in this version, while the legislative process status was updated to include new Senate co-sponsors.

TIMELINE

Added a header stating the bill is in its 3rd Reading Unamended stage in the Senate as of May 12, 2026.

SCOPE

Expanded the Senate sponsorship list by adding eleven new co-sponsors.

REQUIREMENT

Removed the text defining requirements for meat or meat products used in food production, specifically regarding federal inspection or exemptions.

Reengrossed → Revised · 3 edits · May 11, 2026

MINOR

The bill was reclassified from 'Reengrossed' to 'Revised' to reflect amendments adopted on second reading, and committee assignments were updated to include the Senate Finance Committee. Substantively, the bill expanded the scope of the 'Tamale Act' by adding a new subsection (3)(a)(IV) prohibiting the cooling and reheating of final food products before sale. Additionally, the text was reorganized to clarify that producers selling foods requiring time and temperature control must ensure specific meat and meat products used in production are either federally inspected or meet specific exemption criteria.

Scope change

The bill's scope was expanded to include a new prohibition on cooling and reheating final food products, and the applicability of meat product exemptions was clarified within the existing framework.

REQUIREMENT

Added a new requirement (3)(a)(IV) stating that the final food product shall not be cooled and reheated before being sold.

Reorganized the text regarding meat and meat products to explicitly state that they must be federally inspected or satisfy an exemption from inspection.

TECHNICAL

Changed the bill status header from 'Reengrossed' to 'Revised' and updated committee listings to include the Senate Finance Committee.

Engrossed → Reengrossed · 4 edits · Apr 30, 2026

MODERATE

The bill was reengrossed to include additional co-sponsors and updated the summary to reflect that amendments have now been adopted. Substantively, the bill removed specific food safety transport restrictions that limited moving food more than once or for longer than two hours, as well as a prohibition on bare-hand contact with ready-to-eat foods.

Scope change

The bill's scope was narrowed by removing specific operational restrictions on food transport and handling previously included in the text.

REQUIREMENT

Eliminated the restriction prohibiting producers from transporting food more than once.

Eliminated the restriction prohibiting producers from transporting food for longer than two hours.

Removed the requirement prohibiting bare-hand contact with ready-to-eat foods sold under this section.

TECHNICAL

Updated the bill header to reflect 'Reengrossed' status and added new co-sponsors to the House sponsorship list.

Introduced → Engrossed · 5 edits · Apr 29, 2026

MODERATE

The bill was amended to expand the Colorado Cottage Foods Act by explicitly allowing the sale of refrigerated foods and products containing meat, such as tamales and burritos. It also clarifies that producers can offer up to five variations of a single time-temperature-controlled food product and must list these items with health agencies upon request.

Scope change

The bill's scope expanded from non-potentially hazardous foods only to include potentially hazardous foods that require refrigeration and contain meat or meat products.

SCOPE

Explicitly authorized the sale of packaged foods requiring time and temperature control for safety, including items like tamales, burritos, and tortas.

REQUIREMENT

Added a requirement for producers selling time-temperature-controlled foods to list the specific products with the Department or local health agencies upon request.

Clarified that a producer may sell up to five variations of one type of food product requiring time and temperature control, rather than an undefined limit.

Added a prohibition on bare-hand contact with ready-to-eat foods sold under the act.

Updated the course requirement to specify that training must include food handling concerning time and temperature control.

Expanding the Colorado Cottage Foods Act

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