I don't know where you got your information that it cost 1200 per year. I don't live in Florida but did post a link to their Agriculture Dept. earlier in this thread. I'll repost it so it can be read through carefully. The permit cost for selling shelled eggs is
$490 per year. If your gross sales are less than $15,000 then it's only
$130 per year.
http://www.freshfromflorida.com/content/download/23982/486665/SellFarmFreshEggs.pdf
Whoops, there was a typo...the number I was quoting was to be $1000.00, and you need to read the entire document to understand all of the requirements. When you consider the upkeep of the establishment the annual costs are considerable more. And here in FL they DO inspect
with prejudice. (There is supposedly a way to bypass some of the facility building requirements but I know of no one who has been successful in doing so.)
The point is here they discourage the selling of eggs unless you are willing to tally up. It makes it unrealistic for someone with a small flock in their yard to sell eggs.
Here are the annual costs & the Facility requirements.
Facility Permits:
$490 to sell
$130 to sell off site (not everyone lives on a main road here)
Food Permit Manager (all permitted establishments must have one):
$160 (plus continuing education)
Food establishment inspection:
varies (estimate $200)
Total Permit fees: ~$980
Here are the FACILITY requirements to sell eggs in FL:
According to Florida Statutes Chapter 500, more
commonly referred to as the Florida Food Safety Act,
an annual food permit is required to process food for
direct sale to consumers. The annual food permit,
which is issued to the facility, allows individuals to
process and sell multiple food products, including
eggs. All eggs for human consumption must be
processed in a permitted facility. Therefore, a facility,
which meets all the requirements to wash, rinse, and
sanitize eggs, is referred to as a permitted facility.
Individuals can build, retrofit, or lease a facility that
meets the minimum construction standards. Based on
the standards published by
FDACS, the following
should serve as an overview of the requirements.
• The size of the facility should comfortably
house all of the equipment.
• The facility must be separate from the living
quarters, with the exception of an attached room
to the homestead where there is no direct access
to the living quarters.
• A sealed concrete floor and washable paint on
the walls and ceilings are sufficient to meet the
requirements for smooth surfaces that can be
cleaned easily.
• Hot and cold running water are essential. The
temperature of the wash water used to wash the
eggs must be 90°F or greater and must be 20
degrees warmer than the temperature of the eggs.
The temperature of the approved sanitizing
solution must be equal to or greater than the
temperature of the wash water. A USDA
approved sanitize and test kit required for use in
Florida can be found online at
http://www.nsf.org
/usda/psnclistings.asp (go to the box in the middle
of the web page that says
Nonfood Compounds
Listings
and scroll down until you see Q3: Shell
egg sanitizing compounds, Q4: Shell egg sanitizing
compounds, and Q6: Shell egg sanitizing
compounds
• A three-compartment sink is necessary to wash,
rinse, and sanitize equipment and eggs. The
largest piece of equipment used in your egg
processing operation should fit in the sink. A
separate hand-wash sink is also necessary. Mop
water cannot be dumped into the three-
compartment sink, nor the hand-wash sink,
so a separate mop sink or floor drain is required.
All sinks require hot and cold running water.
• The facility must have equipment capable of
storing the eggs at 45°F or below.
• The facility should be well lit; the minimum
guidelines stipulate at least 50-foot-candles of
light in the food processing areas. Typically, a
household 60-watt bulb is sufficient to meet this
requirement. All lights must be shielded.
• Bathrooms need to meet the Florida plumbing
code. Access to these bathrooms is prohibited
through the food processing areas.
• The water supply must be adequate, clean, safe,
and approved by the Florida Department of
Environmental Protection through a licensed
water provider, such as a municipal supply. For
well water systems, you will need to contact your
County Health Department to submit a water
sample and to receive an analysis stating that
your water is clean, safe, and adequate for
human consumption.
• Waste water must be disposed of properly.
When using a municipal sewage system you will
need the utility provider to sign off, certifying
that the provider is approved by the Florida
Department of Environmental Protection. Onsite
sewage disposal systems (e.g., septic tanks) are
regulated by the County Health Department,
which is responsible for approving this step of
the process. A residential septic system may not
be suitable; your local Department of Health will
determine if an additional tank is required for the
processing facility. Be sure to communicate the
small-scale of your operation to the inspector.
