FOOD blogs here used to conjure magic not unlike an invention by Roald Dahl's fictitious chocolatier, Willy Wonka, from Charlie And The Chocolate Factory.

In the same way that TV viewers in the book could reach into the goggle box and try Mr Wonka's chocolates flashing across it, the public could taste the luscious-looking cupcakes and muffins they saw on their computer screens by placing an order via phone or e-mail with the blogger who bakes them at home.

These days, though, unless you are a friend of the blogger, you will not be able to sink your teeth into the tempting home-baked confections they feature.

Food bloggers with home-baking businesses are adopting a 'friends only' rule to comply with regulations on home-based small businesses.

This comes in the wake of a warning issued last year by the National Environment agency (NEA) to two blogs peddling home-baked confectionery to the public.

The agency, which upholds hygiene standards in the food retail industry, took action against the two websites because of feedback from the public on how they were hawking homecooked wares.

While NEA did not receive complaints of people falling ill after eating the cakes and cookies that were sold from these websites, the bloggers were flouting a law which prohibits homes from being used to cook food for sale to the public.

An NEA spokesman tells LifeStyle: 'The blogs featured price lists of home-baked confectionery, delivery details and modes of payment. These suggest that the blogger is operating a large-scale food business from home, offering public sales, and not just purely selling to friends.'

The bloggers were made to remove all mention of confectionery sales from their blogs and stop such public sales.

The spokesman adds: 'Food sold on blogs are from unknown sources and may not be prepared in premises with acceptable hygiene standards.'

First time offenders could be fined up to $1,000.

The spokesman clarifies, however, that 'residents are allowed to carry out small scale home baking for sale' but only 'to friends, without turning the residence into a bakery'. Advertising and public sales are not allowed.

This is in line with the home-based small scale business scheme administered by HDB and the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA).

It states that residents are allowed to engage in small scale home-based activities to supplement the household income, as long as it does not cause inconvenience or nuisance to neighbours, such as noise, smoke, smell, waste, dust or litter.

In such instances, no licence or approval from HDB, URA or NEA is necessary.

One of the two food bloggers rapped by NEA, who spoke to LifeStyle on the condition of anonymity, says he is not bitter about the incident.

'It was a reminder on the importance of maintaining good hygiene in home baking, which I've been practising all along. I'm also aware of whom I can and cannot sell my food to now,' says the 22-year-old tertiary student.

Of the 11 other food bloggers LifeStyle interviewed, however, more than half were unfamiliar with the regulations.

They either did not know that public sales of homecooked food is not allowed or were under the impression that a licence for operating a food business from home is required.

But one thing is clear. The misinformation plus news of NEA's warnings have made food bloggers more cautious about selling food via their websites.

Echoing a common sentiment, Ms Wong P.L., 33, who sells cupcakes on her year-old blog that she declines to have named, will take orders only from friends now.

The owner of a graphic design firm says: 'This is a hobby for me, not a business. I don't want to live with the stress of running the risk of doing something against the rules.'

She adds that while the possibility of baking from a commercial kitchen has crossed her mind, it is a huge financial commitment for a hobby and she is unlikely to take it up.

Mr Mervyn Chan, 27, who is behind the website CCUP where he retails cupcakes as a hobby, says he will fulfil all confirmed orders to date, but does not have any 'immediate plans beyond that at the moment'.

The creative director of an advertising firm adds: 'Now that this has become a serious issue, I'll have to think about how CCUP is run more seriously.'

And where publicity for these food blogs selling their confections used to be a good thing, many are shunning it for fear of flouting the rules.

Undergraduate Alvin Leong, 24, who owns a popular blog selling cakes that he declines to have named, says: 'I turned down requests to be featured in magazines and on a radio station last year because I was worried that the publicity might bring in too many orders, and from random strangers.'

A reduced pool of customers is not a big loss for these bloggers, who say the bulk of their customers were friends and friends of friends to begin with.

Also, they stress that their home-baking business is meant as a self-sustaining hobby rather than a full-time job.

Foodies, however, are lamenting the bloggers' 'friends only' policy.

Mrs Erriawati Tenggomo, director of a ceramics factory who is in her 40s and a regular patron of a food blog that sells cupcakes, says: 'I now have to reconsider recommending my friends to the blog. It's a pity because they sell cupcakes that are not too sweet, which is hard to find in shops.'

Tertiary student Aw Cheng Wei, 19, who bought home-baked blueberry muffins and peanut butter cookies from a food blogger, adds: 'Many people will be disadvantaged because the food sold by the blogger is so good. I'm just glad I've come to know her as a friend.'