Cottage Food Law Texas Label: What to Put on Yours

On this page

1. What has to be on the label
2. Allergen notes and extra lines
3. Packaging and where to check the rules

If you are just starting out, read Cottage Food Law Texas: What Home Bakers Need to Know first, then come back here for the label itself. The label is the part your customer sees at the market table or on the box you hand over at the door, so it is worth getting right before you print a hundred of them.

What has to be on the label

Texas law requires that cottage food be packaged and that all food be labeled, and the rules call for a cottage food operation to label all foods it sells to consumers. The label must include the name and address of the cottage food production operation. It also has to carry a required disclosure statement noting that the product was produced in a private residence.

You do not have to print your home address if you would rather not. A baker can register with DSHS to get a unique identifier number to put on labels instead of a home address, and without registering the home address can still be used.

Allergen notes and extra lines

Labels may include added statements, such as a note that the food was made in a kitchen where nuts are in use. What you cannot do is print a blanket statement that the food may contain allergens.

Packaging and where to check the rules

Food sold by a cottage food production operation must be packaged in a manner that prevents product contamination, so pick containers and wrapping that seal and hold up in a car or on a market table. The executive commissioner is required to adopt rules requiring a cottage food operation to label all foods it sells to consumers, which is why labeling every package matters.

For the official word, the Texas DSHS cottage food production page covers licensing, training materials, and food labeling. Our label template guide and label requirements guide walk through the wording line by line so you can hand your printer a finished file.

• Cottage Food Law Texas: What Home Bakers Need to Know
• Cottage Food Law Label Template: What to Put on Yours
• Cottage Food Law Label Requirements: What to Put on Yours

Common questions

Do I have to label every single package?

The law requires that cottage food be packaged and that all food be labeled, and the rules call for labeling all foods sold to consumers. Labeling every package is the simplest way to be sure you are covered.

Can I put my home address on the label?

Yes. The label must include the name and address of your cottage food production operation. Without registering with DSHS, the home address can still be used.

Can I print a note that the food may contain allergens?

No. A blanket statement that the food may contain allergens is not allowed. You can add a specific note instead, such as a note that the food was made in a kitchen where nuts are in use.

Where do I find the official labeling information?

The Texas DSHS cottage food production page provides information on licensing, training materials, and food labeling.

Does the food need to be packaged a certain way?

Food sold by a cottage food production operation must be packaged in a manner that prevents product contamination.

Sources

1. Texas Cottage Food Law: Labels
2. Texas Health and Safety Code Sec. 437.0193: Packaging and Labeling Requirements for Cottage Food Production Operations
3. Texas Health and Safety Code Sec. 437.0193 (Justia)
4. Texas Health and Safety Code Section 437.0193
5. Texas Cottage Food Law: DSHS Registration
6. Homemade Texas: Labels
7. Texas DSHS: Texas Cottage Food Production

This is general information about Texas cottage food labeling, not legal advice. Rules can change. Check the Texas DSHS cottage food production page or ask a local attorney about your own situation.