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Food manufacturing and storage

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Wine barrels, fish, bread, coffee
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Approved source list | Registration | Renewals| Certificate of free sale | Resources | Frequently asked questions | Contact

Food manufacturing, warehousing, and wholesaling in Colorado is regulated by CDPHE, the FDA, and the USDA. Operators who manufacture foods and dietary supplements with less than 2% cooked meat must be registered with CDPHE and if ingredients or finished products have interstate commerce a registration with the FDA is also required. These registrations are required to be considered approved sources. Manufacturing or wholesaling of products above 2% cooked meat, unless in a sandwich, must register with the USDA. The State Health Department Manufactured Food Program regulates and inspects manufacturing operations as well as provides compliance assistance to help ensure safe food sources in Colorado and across the nation.

Colorado Wholesale Food and Shellfish Regulations

6 CCR 1010-21, adopted by the Board of Health on November 15, 2021; effective January 14, 2024.

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​ Approved source list

Monthly updated list of approved sources of all registered manufactured food businesses that are active.

Approved source list

New applicants: registration process (no hemp)

  • All applications require a non-refundable $100.00 application fee, payable by check or money order. We cannot accept cash.
     
  • Please send the application fee only when submitting an application.
     
  • Applications will be processed by the department. Then we will provide you with an invoice for the remaining registration fee, payable by check or money order. We cannot accept cash.
     
  • Once you pay the remaining registration fee, we will issue your registration for a new facility.
     
  • Please fill out the PDF registration form electronically or print it out to fill it out.

Manufactured food or storage facility registration form

Renewals

All Manufactured Food registration renewals are mailed in the summer.

Additional licensing may be required

  • Depending on the type of business, you may need some or all of the license types below:
  • Business license: contact your local city office.
  • Retail food license: if you make and sell your food to the public, you might also need a retail food license.
  • City/county sales tax license: contact your local city/county taxation office.
  • Get a sales tax license: you may be required to get a sales tax license from the Department of Revenue.
  • Federal tax ID number: TIN, EIN, ITIN, etc.: Internal Revenue Service or visit your local IRS office.
  • Building permit: contact your regional building department.

For registered facilities: certificate of free sale

The certificate of free sale is for registered facilities, that are exporting products manufactured or warehoused in Colorado, that are subject to state and federal food regulations. The fee is $150 for each certificate (no hemp, manufactured food only).

Application for Certificate of Free Sale

Food manufacturing resources

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Frequently asked questions

Registration

Manufacturers, warehouses, re-packers, shellfish dealers, salvage operations, and grain storage facilities must be registered.

Food manufacturing and storage includes:

  • Selling your food to retailers.
  • Re-packing.
  • Shellfish dealers.
  • Salvage operations.
  • Grain storage facilities.

When to submit a new application

Registration is specific to the owner and location. It is not transferable or prorated. If you started a new business, there is a change of owner or if the physical address of the facility changed, please submit a new application and fee. CDPHE does not register operations that are producing marijuana infused products. You need to contact the Department of Revenue, Marijuana Enforcement Division.

If the physical address of the facility and the owner did not change and you need to update your contact information (mailing address, email, phone number, trade name), please fill out the contact information change form.

Contact information change form

Depending on what you want to produce, there may be additional documentation or training requirements to register as a manufactured food company. All wholesale manufacturers, re-packers and warehouses must comply with the FDA's Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), Title 21, section 117, also known as the Current Good Manufacturing Practice in Manufacturing, Packing or Holding Human Food.

Seafood

If you handle seafood, shell fish or seafood products, you'll need to ensure:

Juice

If you will be making, re-packing or storing juice and juice products, you'll need to ensure:

Acidified Foods/Low Acid Canned Foods (LACF)

If your products are acidified, or if you're producing low-acid canned foods, you'll need to ensure:

Bottled water

Bottled water must satisfy all bacterial, chemical, physical and radiological standards listed in CFR 21-165. Additionally, review the following:

Dietary supplements

If you want to manufacture dietary supplements, you must ensure:

If you're looking for recalls related to consumer goods or products, go to the Consumer Product Safety Commission website. We don't post consumer product recalls on this page.

Food and product recalls:

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Contact
303-692-3645, option 2
cdphe_mfgfd@state.co.us

For invoicing questions
303-692-3645, option 4