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Here in Michigan, once you have the recipe stable you have to send a sample for analysis to get the actual Nutrition Facts for the label. I know my buddy pays an average of $1,200 for this lab work each time he has it done. This, and the subsequent approval of the label by the Health Dept., seem to be the most expensive items.

One thing to remember is that you have to make package your items in a licensed kitchen, and in most states a home kitchen is not at all licensable unless it meets certain requirements. There are kitchens available in some areas, particularly larger cities, where you can mix, cook and package for this purpose at an hourly or monthly rental rate.

Just as an FYI, commercial kitchens in my neck of the boonies rent for about $100 per hour, low end of the scale. So you've got to be able to make large enough batches fast enough so you can price your stuff at a reasonable rate.

Besides the kitchen being a licensed commercial kitchen, you may also need to have some certification. Around here, it's fairly cheap and easy, but the rules probably vary from place to place.

And all the kitchens you see may not have all the equipment you need. A restaurant kitchen, for example, might not have the equipment needed for packaging products for long-term shelf life.

Your other choice would be to contract out to a company that will do the cooking and packaging for you. No idea what they charge, but I imagine you'll need to be doing fairly large quantities, which might not be possible when you're first starting out.

Labeling, as @Luna pointed out, can be an issue. Make sure everything is approved and proper before you pay for printing. I know someone who had to throw out a LOT of labels over what seemed like a very minor issue.

Also, think about insurance. You get one claim of salmonella or a hair in the food, and some sue-happy maniac could haul you into court. Even if you win, you're still paying for your lawyer.

I've known quite a few people who have started food businesses "flying under the radar" but they're doing things on a very small scale and selling to a very small market. If you're selling grape jelly and spice mixes to your family and co-workers, that's one thing. But if you're trying to sell in stores, you need to make sure you're following all the rules or you'll end up with a lot of jars of unsold product, plus some fines from the health department.

Thnxs Everyone