Nebraska Cottage Food Law Labeling: What Goes on Yours

On this page

1. What has to go on your Nebraska label
2. Register with the state before your first sale
3. Allergens, quantity, and the parts people skip
4. No sales cap, so your label has to keep up

If you have looked at label rules in another state, you already know how much they vary. Nebraska is its own set of pieces, and it helps to build one label carefully, then reuse it. For a look at how a neighboring state handles the same question, see Missouri cottage food law labeling.

What has to go on your Nebraska label

A Nebraska cottage food label must include the producer’s name and address, the common name of the food, ingredients listed in descending order by weight, the net quantity, and an allergen statement. Every Nebraska cottage food product label must carry the business name and address along with that ingredient list in descending order by weight. Build the label once with all of it in place, then check each new product against the same list.

1. 1

   Write your business name and address

   Use the name you sell under and an address that reaches you. This is the piece people use to find you again.

2. 2

   Name the food plainly

   The common name of the food, the words a customer would use if they were asking for it at a table.

3. 3

   List ingredients by weight

   Heaviest first, lightest last. A cottage food product that is time and temperature control for safety also needs its ingredients listed in descending order on the label.

4. 4

   Add the net quantity

   How much is in the package, stated on the label.

5. 5

   Add your allergen statement

   Say plainly what is in there that people need to know about, and keep it on every version of the label.

Register with the state before your first sale

All individuals who want to make and sell foods described in LB304 must register with the Nebraska Department of Agriculture before selling food. That means the registration comes first and the selling comes after, even if a friend is asking for a cake this weekend. The Nebraska Department of Agriculture runs a Cottage Food Program to support cottage food producers and answer questions about safety guidelines and requirements, so you have somewhere to ask when a label question is not clear.

If you want the training piece handled before you start selling, Nebraska Extension offers both an in-person and an online accredited training option for producers looking to comply with the current Nebraska cottage food law. Once that is done, Minnesota cottage food license rules shows how another state structures its paperwork if you ever bake across a border.

Allergens, quantity, and the parts people skip

The allergen statement and the net quantity are the two pieces home bakers most often leave off, because they feel like extras next to the ingredient list. They are not extras. Both belong on the label. If you want to see how another state words its label pieces so you can compare, Michigan cottage food law labels walks through a full label line by line.

No sales cap, so your label has to keep up

Nebraska sets no dollar limit on cottage food sales, so the ceiling on growth is your own kitchen and time rather than a statutory cap. That changes what a label is for. It is not a form you fill in once for a small season. It is the thing that stays accurate while your product list grows, so keep a saved label for each item you sell and update it the moment a recipe changes.

• Missouri cottage food law labeling: what goes on yours
• Michigan cottage food law labels: what goes on yours
• Minnesota cottage food license rules for home bakers

Common questions

Do I have to register before I sell anything in Nebraska?

Yes. All individuals who want to make and sell foods described in LB304 must register with the Nebraska Department of Agriculture before selling food.

What exactly goes on a Nebraska cottage food label?

The producer's name and address, the common name of the food, ingredients listed in descending order by weight, the net quantity, and an allergen statement.

Is there a limit on how much I can sell?

Nebraska sets no dollar limit on cottage food sales, so what limits you is your own kitchen and time rather than a statutory cap.

Do I need to take a class?

Nebraska Extension offers both an in-person and an online accredited training option for producers looking to comply with the current Nebraska cottage food law.

Who can answer my questions about the rules?

The Nebraska Department of Agriculture runs a Cottage Food Program to support cottage food producers and answer questions about safety guidelines and requirements.

Sources

1. Nebraska Cottage Food Law FAQ, University of Nebraska
2. Nebraska cottage food labeling requirements, Cakery
3. Nebraska Department of Agriculture cottage food producer form
4. Nebraska cottage food labeling, Crosodo
5. Nebraska cottage food law overview, Cottage Food Law Library
6. Nebraska Cottage Food Law, University of Nebraska Extension
7. Cottage Food Program, Nebraska Department of Agriculture

This is general information about labeling rules, not legal advice. Rules change, so confirm the current requirements with the Nebraska Department of Agriculture before you sell.