How to Sell Artisanal Baked Goods and Bread to Order in Colombia: Packaging, Pricing, and Regulations

An ad for a cake that only says "custom cakes, message me" almost never sells. Nobody knows how many people it serves, whether it has milk or nuts, whether it needs refrigeration, or whether delivery costs extra. And on the other side is the question almost nobody asks in time: what paperwork does the regulation require before you set a price? Here is the order I would follow, with no shortcuts that end up costing you later.

Quick answer

• "Made to order" is not an exception. Article 37 of Resolution 2674 of 2013, modified by Resolution 3168 of 2015, requires notification, permit, or sanitary registration for any food sold directly to the consumer. There are four exceptions, and a cake or a bread is not among them.
• These are two different papers: the sanitary concept belongs to the place; the notification, permit, or registration belongs to the product.
• If it is packaged, the label must include net content, who manufactured or packaged it, lot number, and an indelible expiration date.
• The price is built from the recipe; there is no official rate.

Two permits that get confused: the place and the product

The sanitary concept is issued by the territorial health authority after inspecting the establishment and can be favorable or unfavorable. In Bogotá, for example, the Secretaría Distrital de Salud asks you to register the establishment, review the checklist, and request the visit once the premises are already operating. In other municipalities, the local health secretariat defines the process: ask them before buying equipment.

The notification (NSA), permit (PSA), or sanitary registration (RSA) belong to the food and are issued by INVIMA according to risk. According to Resolution 2674 of 2013, notification covers lower risk and lasts ten years; permit covers medium risk and lasts seven; registration covers high risk and lasts five. In all three cases the holder requests renewal three months before expiration. I did not find a peso fee in an official table, so check the current cost with INVIMA and your health secretariat.

To see how this procedure looks for another product, check the guide to sanitary notification for roasted and ground coffee. Note: that classification is for coffee and is not copied to cakes or bread.

How to read the risk without guessing the column

The table that defines the risk is the technical annex of Resolution 719 of 2015. Group 7 covers breads and bakery products; subcategory 7.1.3, sweet bakery, names cakes, sweet cookies, pastries, sponge cakes, donuts, and sweet buns. In the copies I consulted, the risk mark for that row was not clearly legible, so I will not tell you that "every cake is only a notification" or the opposite. Open the annex, look at your row and, if in doubt, ask INVIMA before printing boxes.

Two clues that are clear in the INVIMA compilation:

• Subcategory 1.8.1, products with no less than 20% m/m milk or dairy derivatives, is marked as high risk. A creamy filling or a tres leches is not processed as "the same as bread."
• Decorations for fine pastry, coatings that are not fruit-based, and sweet sauces (5.4.1) are also marked as high risk if you sell them as a product.

A home kitchen is not automatically a business premises

This is the uncomfortable part. Resolution 2674 requires that areas where food is manufactured, prepared, packaged, or sold be independent and physically separated from any dwelling, and that they not be used as a bedroom. I cannot promise that your integrated kitchen complies; your municipality's health secretariat confirms that. Baking for your family is one thing; selling with a public ad is another.

Whoever handles food also has duties: a medical certificate of fitness with examination at least once a year and a training plan of at least 10 hours per year, according to the Ministry of Health regulation. A PDF bought online does not replace those two documents. If you want to understand that point better, read the guide to the food handling course and certificate.

Packaging and label: what goes on the box

If you deliver the cake packaged, the Resolution 5109 of 2005 (text modified by 557 of 2022) requires:

• net content in metric units;
• name or company name and address of the manufacturer or packager, preceded by "FABRICADO o ENVASADO POR" (MANUFACTURED or PACKAGED BY);
• lot identification;
• expiration or minimum durability date, visible, legible, and indelible, not on an adhesive sticker, in day, month, and year order.

Also, the label must not touch the food, unless there are ink studies and the packaging meets the regulations for materials in contact with food. In plain terms: no label stuck directly onto the frosting.

There is no fixed legal shelf life in days for cakes or bread. Whoever packages declares the date; whoever delivers unpackaged agrees with the customer in writing on how to store it and until when it is best consumed. A dry, packaged product, like the specialty single-origin coffee, behaves very differently from a cream cake that goes out the next day.

"High in" seals and nutrition tables?

The Resolution 810 of 2021, modified by 2492 of 2022, applies to packaged foods and exempts, among others, bulk foods and typical or artisanal ones. "Artisanal" here is a legal definition with three conditions at once: traditional non-industrialized practices, cultural tradition of the regions, and gradual compliance with food safety under Law 2254 of 2022. It is not a synonym for homemade: a custom cake with frosting is not exempt just because it is made at home. And if you write nutritional or health claims on the box, the regulation does apply. My advice: do not print "light" or "healthy" out of habit.

The price: built from the recipe

There is no official rate or a "fair" price I can quote you. What does work is adding up, recipe by recipe:

1. the ingredients for that recipe, not the month's shopping;
2. the packaging;
3. a share of the gas or energy;
4. your time, including decorating and answering messages;
5. delivery, if included;
6. the margin you decide to keep.

What bothers a customer most is discovering a charge at the end that was not mentioned. That is why the ad should say what the price includes and what is charged separately, and price, deposit, date, and area are agreed before baking. Never ask for a deposit to be paid to an unknown third party.

What the ad must say so that the people who will actually buy write

This is the filter for lookers. Include: flavor and size, portions, ingredients that change the decision (milk, egg, gluten, nuts), whether it is refrigerated, how far in advance it must be ordered, delivery or pickup area, and whether delivery is charged separately. The photo must be of the real product, with no sanitary seals or invented registration numbers.

I will not repeat templates: in the guide to how to publish food, desserts, and coffee you will find the full listing details. And if you are torn between categories, Bakery and Pastry is for cakes, pound cakes, and bread; Prepared Food and Coffee have their own place within the Food section.

Frequently asked questions

❓ Does selling a custom cake avoid the INVIMA procedure?

No: Article 37 of Resolution 2674 does not exempt a cake or bread sold to the consumer. The row in the Resolution 719 annex indicates whether notification, permit, or registration is needed, and a high dairy content can change the row. (verify with the official source)

❓ Can I bake in the same kitchen where I live?

Resolution 2674 requires production areas physically separated from the dwelling and not used as a bedroom. Your municipality's health secretariat confirms whether your space qualifies; in Bogotá the visit is requested with the establishment already operating. (verify with the official source)

❓ What is the difference between a sanitary concept and INVIMA registration?

The sanitary concept belongs to the premises and is issued by the territorial authority after inspecting them; the notification, permit, or registration belongs to the product and is issued by INVIMA. Their validity periods are 10, 7, and 5 years, respectively. (verify with the official source)

❓ Does an artisanal cake carry a "high in sugar" seal?

Seals and nutrition tables apply to packaged foods, and "artisanal" requires three legal conditions under Resolution 2492. Calling it artisanal does not exempt a homemade order, and a health claim on the box obliges compliance with the regulation. (verify with the official source)

❓ How much should I charge for a custom cake?

Add the ingredients for that recipe, packaging, a share of energy, your time, and delivery, plus the margin you want to keep. There is no official rate; the ad should clarify what the price includes and what is charged separately. (verify with the official source)

❓ How do I sell safely and avoid scams?

Agree in writing on price, deposit, date, and area before baking, and do not pay or ask for deposits to unknown third parties. State key ingredients and whether it is refrigerated. Deliver to an identified customer and confirm payment before dispatching. (verify with the official source)

❓ Where can I post my custom cakes and bread?

You can use your social networks, WhatsApp groups, or a marketplace with its own bakery category, such as Colombia Move. What matters is that the ad includes a real photo, portions, delivery area, and clear contact details.