Cottage food rules
Kentucky Cottage Food Labels: What Your Label Needs
A plain list of what Kentucky requires on a home-based food label, so you can print labels with confidence.
On this page
What to remember
- Label each food product, not just the ones you think need it.
- Include your operation name and address, the food name, and the ingredients.
- Flag major allergens: milk, eggs, wheat, soybean (soy), peanuts, tree nuts, sesame, fish, and shellfish.
- Check the state page for current details before you print.
If you are just starting, the label is one piece of a larger setup. The Kentucky cottage food law application guide walks through the application step, and our home bakery licenses and permits overview helps you see what other paperwork may apply. Get the label right early, and every batch you sell will carry the same clear information.
What has to be on the label
Kentucky statute says a home-based processor shall label each food product and include the required information on each label. The state’s summary of updates to home-based processing says the label shall include the name and address of the home-based processing operation, the common or usual name of the food product, and the ingredients of the food product. Those three pieces are the base of your label. The state label guide adds the allergen piece, which we will cover next.
How to flag allergens without guessing
The state label guide lists the major food allergens as milk, eggs, wheat, soybean (soy), peanuts, tree nuts, sesame, fish, and shellfish. It requires allergen identification for all ingredients that contain any of these. That means you read your recipe, then read each ingredient you use. If an ingredient contains one of those allergens, identify it on the label. Check every ingredient in every part of the bake. This is not about what a customer can see or taste. It is about what is in the food.
A simple label checklist
Write your operation name and address
Use the name and address of your home-based processing operation, as the state summary describes.
Write the common or usual name of the food
This is the name your customer will recognize, like banana bread or sugar cookies. The state summary calls it the common or usual name of the food product.
List the ingredients
The label must include the ingredients of the food product. Use the same ingredients you actually put into the bake.
Check each ingredient for major allergens
The state label guide requires allergen identification for all ingredients that contain milk, eggs, wheat, soybean (soy), peanuts, tree nuts, sesame, fish, or shellfish.
Put the required information on each product
The statute says each food product must be labeled with the required information. Do not print one label for a tray and skip the individual items if they are sold as separate products.
Check the state page before you print
The Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services home-based processing page has current information on labeling requirements. Read it before you order labels or change your template.
Where to check before you print
The Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services home-based processing page is the current source for registration, allowable products, permitted selling methods, operating standards, and labeling requirements. The statute that addresses home-based processors, KRS 217.136, covers exemption from permit requirements and fair packaging and labeling laws, and it covers production, labeling, and sales of home-processed products. Read the state page and the statute together so you are not working from an old label you saw at a market.
A label is also a selling tool. When your label is clear, a customer at a market or a pickup can see what is in the bake and what to avoid. That saves you questions and helps you look professional. Keep a master copy of your label for each product, and update it when you change a recipe or an ingredient.
Common questions
What has to be on a Kentucky home-based processor label?
The label must include the name and address of your home-based processing operation, the common or usual name of the food product, and the ingredients. The state label guide also requires allergen identification for all ingredients that contain a major food allergen.
Which allergens do I have to flag?
The state label guide lists milk, eggs, wheat, soybean (soy), peanuts, tree nuts, sesame, fish, and shellfish. It requires allergen identification for all ingredients that contain any of these.
Do I need a label on every product?
Kentucky statute says a home-based processor shall label each food product and include the required information on each label. Plan to label each product you sell.
Where can I find the current Kentucky label rules?
The Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services home-based processing page provides current information on registration, allowable products, permitted selling methods, operating standards, and labeling requirements.
Sources
This is general information about Kentucky label rules, not legal advice. Rules can change, so check the Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services page for the current requirements.