Cottage food rules
Michigan Cottage Food Label: What the Law Says
Everything Michigan asks you to put on a cottage food label, in plain words.
On this page
What to remember
- No license, no application, no fee, and no inspection for Michigan cottage food.
- Ingredients go in descending order of predominance by weight.
- Prepared items you bake with need their own sub-ingredients listed.
- Your business name and address belong on the label.
- The MDARD statement must be in at least 11-point type.
Michigan’s Food Law exempts cottage food operations from the licensing and inspection provisions, but it does not let you skip labeling. A cottage food operation still has to comply with the labeling rules and the other provisions in the Michigan Food Law. That is the part most home bakers miss, so it is worth reading your label twice before you sell your first box.
What goes on a Michigan cottage food label
MDARD lists six required elements on a cottage food label, and the exact MDARD statement is one of them. You do not need a designer or a printing service. You need a label that is correct, legible, and on every item you sell.
Write your business name and address
Under MCL 289.4102, a cottage food operation must place the name and address of the business on the label of any food it produces or packages.
List your ingredients by weight
MDARD requires the ingredients in descending order of predominance by weight. The ingredient that weighs the most in your recipe goes first, and the smallest goes last.
Break out prepared items
If a prepared item is used in the recipe, the label must also list that item’s sub-ingredients. If you bake with a prepared jam or a prepared mix, its own ingredients belong on your label too.
Add the exact MDARD statement
The MDARD statement has to be word for word as MDARD writes it. Copy it from the MDARD labeling page rather than from memory.
Set the type size
Michigan cottage food labels must contain six required elements, and the MDARD statement must be printed in at least 11-point type rather than 10-point. Check this before you print a whole sheet of labels.
Cakes that are hard to package
Boxes and bags are simple, because the label goes on the outside. Wedding cakes, birthday cakes, and other specialty cakes are not easily packaged, and MDARD still requires that all label information be included on the product. Plan where that information will sit before the cake leaves your kitchen. If you want to see a full label laid out, this cottage food law label example walks through one piece by piece.
Where home bakers get tripped up
The two quiet mistakes are the ingredient order and the sub-ingredients. Order is by weight, not by how much you scoop or by what sounds better first. And a prepared item is not one ingredient, it is a small list of its own. Both are easy to fix once you know, and both are the kind of thing a buyer or an inspector may notice.
None of this costs you a fee. There is no application to file and no inspection to schedule, so the label is the main piece of paperwork standing between your kitchen and your first sale. Get it right once, save the file, and reuse it.
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Once the label is settled, the next question is usually what to charge. Costing your recipes properly tells you what a batch really costs and what a price leaves you, which matters more than most bakers expect in the first month of selling.
Common questions
Do I need a license to sell cottage food in Michigan?
No. Michigan cottage food operations require no license, no application, no fee, and no inspection, though producers must still follow MDARD rules.
In what order do ingredients go on a Michigan cottage food label?
MDARD requires the ingredients to be listed in descending order of predominance by weight, heaviest ingredient first.
What if I use a prepared item in my recipe?
If a prepared item is used in the recipe, the label must also list that item's sub-ingredients, not just the item's name.
How large does the MDARD statement need to be?
The exact MDARD statement must be printed in at least 11-point type rather than 10-point, as part of the six required label elements.
How do I label a wedding cake or a birthday cake?
For wedding cakes, birthday cakes, and other specialty cakes that are not easily packaged, MDARD requires that all label information still be included on the product.
Sources
This is general information about Michigan cottage food labeling, not legal advice. Rules can change, so check the MDARD pages linked above before you print labels, and talk to a lawyer if you are unsure about your situation.