Arkansas

1. Can you sell charcuterie boards from home in Arkansas?

No.

Arkansas replaced its old Cottage Food Act with the Food Freedom Act (Act 1040 of 2021), which allows only Homemade Non-TCS foods from a home kitchen. Arkansas Department of Health

Non-TCS = foods that do NOT need refrigeration to stay safe. Arkansas Department of Health

The 2025 Arkansas Department of Health (ADH) guide explicitly says any TCS food requires an ADH permit. Arkansas Department of Health+1

And it lists as NOT allowed without a permit:

• foods of animal origin (meat, poultry, seafood, dairy) whether raw or cooked Arkansas Department of Health
• anything requiring time/temperature control (refrigeration or hot holding) Arkansas Department of Health

Since charcuterie boards typically contain meat + cheese + other refrigerated items, they are TCS and therefore cannot be sold as home-produced foods in Arkansas. Arkansas Department of Health+1

Translation:

You cannot legally sell standard charcuterie boards, grazing boxes, or cups made in your home kitchen under Arkansas Food Freedom rules.

2. What you need in Arkansas to sell real charcuterie (meat/cheese boards)

To sell TCS charcuterie products, you’ll need the permitted food establishment route:

A) Operate from an ADH-permitted kitchen

The ADH guide says TCS foods must be prepared/packaged in a permitted and inspected Retail Food Establishment or Food Processing Plant. Arkansas Department of Health

So you must use:

• a rented commissary / shared commercial kitchen
• a permitted restaurant kitchen (off-hours agreement)
• your own build-out that passes plan review + inspection

B) Get an ADH Food Establishment Permit

Charcuterie businesses are usually permitted as:

• Retail Food Establishment (selling boards/boxes to the public)
• Caterer/Food Service (if you deliver, set up grazing tables, or staff events) Arkansas Department of Health+1

Permitting includes:

• application + fee
• pre-opening inspection
• ongoing routine inspections Arkansas Department of Health+1

C) Use only inspected meats/dairy

Animal products must come from approved/inspected sources (USDA/state inspected, pasteurized dairy). Home-processed animal products aren’t allowed for resale. Arkansas Department of Health+1

D) Special processes require extra approval

If you plan to:

• cure/smoke/dry meats yourself
• vacuum-seal / reduced-oxygen packaging (ROP)
• do any “meat processing” beyond slicing/assembling

…you’ll need a variance/HACCP plan and likely a higher-level processing permit. The ADH guide calls out smoked/cured/dried meat as permit-required and variance-controlled. Arkansas Department of Health

3. What is allowed from home in Arkansas (useful for early-stage brands)

Under the Food Freedom Act, you can sell non-TCS shelf-stable foods from home without an ADH permit or inspection. Arkansas Department of Health+1

Examples that can fit a charcuterie brand:

• spice blends / dry rubs
• candied or roasted nuts
• shelf-stable crackers or cookies
• jams/jellies
• chocolate items
• “board-building kits” without meat/cheese

Food Freedom requirements for those Non-TCS items:

• Direct to an “informed end consumer.” (no restaurant resale) Arkansas Department of Health
• Labeling/disclosure required including ingredients + producer contact and the statement that it was made in an uninspected private residence. Arkansas Department of Health
• Can sell in person, online, delivery, and even via third-party retailers for non-TCS items (with separation from inspected foods). Arkansas Department of Health
• The state guide does not set a sales cap for Non-TCS homemade foods. Arkansas Department of Health

4. Arkansas startup lanes (pick the right one)

Lane A — Charcuterie boards / grazing cups / boxes

You need:

1.   ADH-permitted commercial kitchen

2.   Food Establishment permit (retail or catering)

3.   Inspection approval before selling

4.   Food safety training per permit type

Arkansas Department of Health+1

Lane B — Shelf-stable charcuterie add-ons

You can start from home with:

1.   Non-TCS products only

2.   Required labeling/disclosure

3.   Direct-to-consumer sales

Arkansas Department of Health+1