Cottage food laws labels: what your label has to say

On this page

1. Find the rule for your kitchen first
2. Build the label in the order the rule gives you
3. Check the label again when the recipe changes

If you have looked at two states and found two different answers, you are not doing it wrong. Cottage food laws labeling walks through the pieces that keep showing up, and this guide shows you how to pin down the version that applies to your kitchen.

Find the rule for your kitchen first

Start with your own state’s cottage food page and read the labeling section line by line, not the summary someone posted in a group. If you are still working out which rule covers you, Cottage food laws .com helps you find the one that applies to you.

Virginia shows how much the details matter. Section 3.2-5130 of the Code of Virginia allows certain low risk foods, acidified vegetables, and honey to be made from a private home without VDACS inspection, with certain restrictions, and the labeling guidance sits alongside that rule. The label and the permission to sell are two parts of the same thing.

Build the label in the order the rule gives you

1. 1

   Write the ingredient list heaviest first

   Michigan requires cottage food ingredients to be listed in descending order of predominance by weight. Virginia’s guidance asks for the most first and the least last.

2. 2

   Break down anything you did not make yourself

   If your recipe uses a prepared item, Michigan requires its sub ingredients to be listed as well, and Virginia asks for the list to go down to the smallest sub ingredients.

3. 3

   Add your name and address where your state asks for it

   Alabama’s cottage food law requires all labels to include the name and address of the cottage food operation.

4. 4

   Add the required statement

   Alabama also requires a statement on the label that the food is not inspected by the Health Department.

5. 5

   Check the state and federal angle

   California requires cottage food products to be labeled in accordance with specific state and federal labeling regulations, so read past the state page if you sell there.

6. 6

   Keep a copy of the finished label

   Save the exact wording you printed for each bake, so when a recipe changes you know what the old label said.

Check the label again when the recipe changes

A label is tied to a recipe, not to your kitchen. Swap butter for something else, add a filling, or start using a new prepared item, and the ingredient list you printed last month may no longer match what is in the box. Reread your state’s labeling page whenever a bake changes, and if eggs are part of the recipe, check cottage food laws and eggs before you print the next batch.

When your label is right, the rest of the selling gets easier. Take orders, get paid, and keep your recipes and costs in one place, on your phone at the market table and on your computer when you sit down to plan the week.

Common questions

Do I need a label if I only sell at a farmers market?

The label rule comes from your state and it follows what you sell, so check your state's cottage food page before your first market day. The requirements differ from one state to the next, which is why a label from another state is not a safe template.

In what order do ingredients go on the label?

Michigan requires ingredients in descending order of predominance by weight. Virginia's guidance requires the most first and the least last, broken down to the smallest sub ingredients.

Do I have to list the pieces inside a prepared item?

In Michigan, yes. If a prepared item is used in a recipe, its sub ingredients must be listed as well. Virginia's guidance asks for the list to go down to the smallest sub ingredients.

What does an Alabama cottage food label need?

Alabama requires the name and address of the cottage food operation, a list of the ingredients, and a statement that the food is not inspected by the Health Department.

Does California have its own label list?

California requires cottage food products to be labeled in accordance with specific state and federal labeling regulations, so both layers matter there.

Sources

1. California Department of Public Health, Cottage Food Labeling Requirements
2. Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, Cottage Food Labeling
3. Alabama Department of Public Health, Cottage Food
4. Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, Labeling Guidance
5. Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, Kitchen Bill FAQ

This is general information about cottage food labeling rules, not legal advice. Labeling requirements differ by state and can change, so confirm the current rule with your own state agency before you sell.