Canning & Sampling Information

In order to be able to sell canned foods at farmers markets in Greene County, you must complete the following three steps. If wholesaling your product, you may be subject to state inspections.

Have Your Recipe Approved by an FDA Process Authority
 A list of process authorities can be found here. The cost of this process may vary depending upon the FDA process authority used. You will likely need to send a sample of your product, along with a recipe and procedures, to these authorities for approval.

Use an Approved and Inspected Kitchen 
 Once you have attended the Better Processors School and had your recipe approved from an FDA process authority, you must find an approved inspected kitchen in which to prepare your food. If you are selling your canned foods at the farmers market, to the end consumer, then you will need to obtain a permit from the health department just like any other food establishment.

Canned foods that this process applies to include, but are not limited to: 

  • Watermelon jelly
  • Canned pressure cooked vegetables
  • Salsas
  • Pickles
  • Giardiniera
  • Pickled peppers
  • Pickled beets
  • Pickled green beans
  • Pickled okra
  • Pickled green tomatoes
  • Pickled relish
  • Garlic and oil mixtures
  • BBQ sauce
  • Foods that have had any type of acid added to reduce the pH (such as vinegar, citric acid, ascorbic acid, lemon juice, or lime juice)


No Sugar Added Jams or Jellies
 If you wish to prepare "no sugar added" jams or jellies, you must have the pH of your product tested at an approved lab. The results of the test and recipe must then be submitted to our office for further guidance as to what additional requirements will apply to prepare this product. You may submit your test results via fax to (417) 864-1466, or you may submit your PDF results via email to our office. Please call (417) 864-1017 to obtain the email address of the inspector who works with your market.

Pepper Jams or Jellies
 If you wish to prepare pepper jams or jellies, you must have the water activity and pH of your product tested at an approved lab. The results of these tests and recipe must then be submitted to our office for further guidance as to what additional requirements may apply to prepare this product.  

This may include attending Better Processing School, having your recipe approved by a FDA Process Authority, and/or preparing your product in an approved and inspected kitchen. You may submit your test results via fax to (417) 864-1466, or you may submit your PDF results via email to our office at. Please call (417) 864-1017 to obtain the email address of the inspector who works with your market.

Water Activity and pH testing
WBA Analytical Laboratories
3609 Johnson Rd.
Springdale, AR 72762
(479) 290-5062
[email protected]
www.wbalabs.com

Whitbeck Laboratories, Inc.
1000 Backus
Springdale, AR 72764
(479) 756-1270
[email protected]

(Water activity test range from $25-$30 and pH test run approximately $10)