Tamale Act signed into law, giving Coloradans a chance to sell homemade food

Colorado residents can now legally prepare and sell a wider range of homemade foods under a new law signed Wednesday by Gov. Jared Polis.

The Tamale Act allows people to make and sell homemade foods from their own kitchens, including some foods that were previously prohibited under state law.

Under the law, sellers must complete a food safety course and maintain proof of completion. Food may not be transported more than once or for longer than two hours.

Supporters say the law creates new economic opportunities for Coloradans looking to earn income by selling food made at home.

For Arta Montoya, who was diagnosed with kidney disease in 2021, selling homemade goods to friends and family helped supplement her income.

"I'm not going to just lay there. I will find a way, and I did. Anybody could do that," Montoya said.

House Majority Leader Monica Duran, D-Wheat Ridge, said the law gives people a chance to turn family recipes and cooking skills into a business opportunity.

"In the times that we are in, people can take that talent and that gift they have of these special foods that they make around their family table and share them," Duran said.

Colorado's Cottage Foods Act, passed in 2012, allowed the sale of certain homemade products, including coffee beans and pickles, but prohibited foods requiring temperature control, such as many meat and dairy products.

The new law expands the types of homemade foods that can be sold while requiring food safety training for sellers.