Restaurant wants Quail eggs, selling help please!( now they want meat too!)

[Reinventme127]

I would want to know about any liabilities for food safety - because you are not licenced or inspected etc, technically a restaurant is not allowed to buy food ingredients from you (at least this is the way it is in Canada) and if they get inspected and found to be purchasing goods that have not been inspected, how it would affect you. And if they got taken to court or had a food safety claim made against them, how it would affect you.

I worked at a high-class fishing lodge on the ocean and believe it or not, we were not allowed to serve fresh fish/seafood on our kitchen unless it had been inspected - which meant we would have to fly it in. Which was rediculous of course. But the health inspectors would regularly search the kitchen freezers to make sre our food was properly sourced, and the fisheries officers would also get in there to make sure we had no wild fish in our freezers...

I would at least get a written agreement set up between the two of you outlining that the eggs come from a hobby farm and that the owner/proprietor of the hobby farm is not responsible for any alleged illness resulting from the consumption of the eggs. Especially since it is common for quail eggs to be served raw in some sushi dishes - and i think there is even a shot of some kind that involves a raw quail egg. Don't get involved with the health inspector - let him cross that bridge if he comes to it. trust me - been there!

Very good advice

 

[trdoty]

Thank you everyone for your input. Yes, food liability was a concern of mine, I think though that not too many permits will be required if they pick up the eggs from the farmers market. Is this a correct assumption, aprophet? In response to winter laying decreasing, I live in South Texas, and down here it is pretty much the land of never ending summer. The days do get shorter but the weather is always hot. We only had three weeks of below 80 degrees and rainy weather this year TOTAL. It did stop laying and throw everyone into a moult. Then again I was having electric problems that first week and did not have the lights on them. So I wonder if my production will go down that much.
Also I talked to the Chef today and he wants 3- 4 doz eggs a week. Not a big deal, I can supply that with what I have now. But he also wants dressed quail, at least 30 a week, but after making calls today no one processes poultry in a 5 hour radius. Poo. How much trouble is it to have a small scale facility pass inspection? My dad has a small room out by his barn that is 25x10 with a bathroom, stainless steel sink, cement floor with drain hole, freezer, and its air- conditioned (or the unit is there). Only problem is that the walls are insulated with raw foam on the inside of the room. hummmmmm my brain has problems with turning down entrepreneur opportunities!

Any input?

OH! my pens are 7x2x1 high stacked 4 high on one side and 3 with the brooders on the other, all in-closed in a big 7x7 1/4 in expanded metal cage, the coons here are from the devil.

in alabama if you process less han 20,000 birds a year of dressed quail meat you are exempt from the usda inspection , if you are selling at farmers market or individuals. you should call your agriculture division for your county many area do allow home processing , without usda, of bison, rabbit and quail. but do take a food safety course or educate yourself on safe handling and vacuum th bags the meat is in and also label with your info and safe handling sticker,