Cottage food rules
Tennessee Cottage Food Labels: What the Law Says
Know exactly what Tennessee asks of your label, and what to print anyway so customers trust what they buy.
On this page
What to remember
- Home kitchen food sold under the Tennessee Food Freedom Act is exempt from state labeling and packaging rules, with exceptions.
- Tennessee does not hand you a required label format for most home bakes.
- The exemption has exceptions, so confirm your item before you print a new batch.
- A label you design yourself still does the selling when a customer picks up the box.
If you bake in your own kitchen and sell what you make, the label question comes up fast. The short version is that the state does not hand you a template to copy. What you do have is a chance to tell a customer exactly what they are eating. If your bakes involve soft frosting, Tennessee cottage food laws and buttercream covers how that fits.
What the law actually asks of your label
Tennessee runs one of the most open home food laws in the country. Under the Tennessee Food Freedom Act, food produced in a home-based kitchen in accordance with the Act is exempt from the state’s licensing, permitting, inspecting, packaging, and labeling laws, with exceptions. There is no state font to match, no set wording to copy, and no form to file before you print.
The word to hold on to is exceptions. The exemption is not a promise that every food you could ever make is covered. Before you print a run of labels for a new product, check where that item sits, and do it before the labels are in your hand rather than after.
What to put on your label anyway
A label with nothing on it is a missed sale. Customers buying from a home baker want to know what is in the box, who made it, and how to reach you. None of the following is a state requirement. It is simply what makes a label useful.
Name the bake and the baker
Your business name and the name of the item, in plain words. A customer should be able to read it from arm’s length.
List what is in it
Write the ingredients the way you would say them out loud. Butter, eggs, flour, sugar, vanilla. People scan for what they avoid.
Call out the common allergens
Wheat, eggs, milk, soy, peanuts, tree nuts. Say it in the list, and say it again in a short line underneath if the list runs long.
Add the date it was made
A bake date tells a customer how fresh it is, and it helps you keep track of what went out this week.
Give them a way back to you
A phone number, an email, or your shop address. Repeat buyers need a way to find you again.
The ingredient list on your label should match the ingredient list a customer sees when they order. If you take orders through a shop page, put the same words there. Ohio cottage food labeling rules is a useful read on how another state handles label wording, and it shows how much of a label is about clarity rather than paperwork.
Keep it honest and consistent
A proposed Tennessee bill in this area would require homemade food items that do not contain dairy, meat, or poultry to be sold by the producer directly to the consumer, whether in person or remotely. That is proposed text, not a settled label rule, but it points to the same habit. You sell what you made, to the person who bought it, and your label tells them what is in it.
If you want to see how a label with more required wording looks, Oregon cottage food labels walks through the other end of the spectrum. Read it as a comparison, not as a template for Tennessee.
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Common questions
Do I have to put a label on baked goods in Tennessee?
Under the Tennessee Food Freedom Act, food produced in a home-based kitchen is exempt from the state's labeling and packaging laws, with exceptions. For most home bakes there is no state label format to follow, though it is worth confirming your specific item.
What has to be on a Tennessee cottage food label?
The state does not set a required label format for home kitchen food covered by the exemption. A useful label names the bake and the baker, lists ingredients, flags common allergens, shows the date it was made, and gives a way to contact you.
Should I list allergens even if the state does not ask for them?
Listing wheat, eggs, milk, soy, peanuts, and tree nuts is good business. Customers scan for them before they buy, and a label that answers the question saves you a message.
Does the exemption cover every food I could make?
No. The Tennessee Food Freedom Act exempts home kitchen food with exceptions, so check your item before you print labels for a new product.
Can I sell my bakes remotely in Tennessee?
A proposed Tennessee bill would require homemade food items without dairy, meat, or poultry to be sold by the producer directly to the consumer, in person or remotely. That is proposed text, so confirm the current position before you rely on it.
Sources
This is general information for home bakers, not legal advice. Rules change and exceptions apply, so confirm your own situation with the Tennessee Department of Agriculture before you print labels or sell a new product.