Labeling

You are required to individually label your Cottage Foods prior to sale

The basic information that must be on the label is as follows:

• Name and physical address of the Cottage Food operation (You must use the physical address of your home kitchen; Post Office Box addresses are not allowed), however, the MSU Product Center Voluntary Registration for cottage food operations would enable the operation to use an assigned registration number on their labels in place of your name and address.
• Name of the Cottage Food product (All capital letters or upper/lower case are both acceptable).
• The ingredients of the Cottage Food product, in descending order of predominance by weight. If you use a prepared item in your recipe, you must list the sub ingredients as well. See below for further examples.
• The net weight or net volume of the Cottage Food product (must also include the metric equivalent).
• Allergen labeling as specified in federal labeling requirements.
• The following statement: "Made in a home kitchen that has not been inspected by the Michigan Department of Agriculture & Rural Development" in at least the equivalent of 11-point font (about 1/8" tall) and in a color that provides a clear contrast to the background (All capital letters or upper/lower case are both acceptable).

Hand-printed labels are acceptable if they are clearly legible, written with durable, permanent ink, and printed large enough to equal the font size requirements listed above.

Here is an example of a label that should help you develop your own labels:

Frequently Asked Questions

What does allergen labeling, as specified in federal labeling requirements, mean?

It means you must identify if any of your ingredients are made from one of the following food groups: milk, eggs, wheat, peanuts, soybeans, fish (including shellfish, crab, lobster, or shrimp), and tree nuts (such as almonds, pecans, or walnuts).

As an example, if you had an ingredient made with a wheat-based product, you have two options for labeling:

1. Include the allergen in the ingredient list. For example, a white bread with the following ingredient listing: whole wheat flour, water, salt, and yeast. In this example, the statement 'whole wheat flour', meets the requirements of federal law.
2. Include an allergen statement ("Contains:") after the ingredient list. For example, a white bread, with the following ingredients: whole wheat flour, water, sodium caseinate, salt, and yeast. Contains wheat and milk.

The "Contains" statement must reflect all the allergens found in the product. In this example, the sodium caseinate comes from milk.

Are there any special requirements for tree nuts labeling for allergens?

Yes, if your Cottage Food has tree nuts as an ingredient you must identify which tree nut you are using.

 For example, if you made Nut Bread, an acceptable ingredient list would be:

Ingredients: wheat flour, water, almonds, salt, yeast.

 The following would not be acceptable:

Ingredients: flour, water, nuts, salt, yeast.

I am concerned that some of my product ingredients that are not allergens are "trade secrets" and listing all my ingredients would lead to unfair competition. Do I have to list all of my ingredients or can I protect my trade secrets?

You are required to list all of your ingredients. Refer to your area inspector on ingredient labeling guidelines.

Am I required to send my products to a laboratory to obtain an official ingredient list, or is it something I can put together on my own?

You are not required to have your product analyzed by a laboratory to obtain an official ingredient list. You must, however, list all ingredients, in descending order of predominance by weight. If you use a prepared item in your recipe, you must list sub-ingredients as well. For example, if you use soy sauce as an ingredient, listing "soy sauce" is not acceptable; "soy sauce (wheat, soybeans, salt)" is acceptable. Allergen labeling, as specified in federal labeling requirements, must also be included.

Do I have to include my home address on my product labeling or is a post office box sufficient? 

You must use the physical address of your home kitchen on your product label, not a post office box. The purpose of including an address on product labels is to be able to locate the business in case of a recall or traceback associated with a foodborne illness complaint or outbreak. The Cottage Food Law specifies that the name and address of the business of the Cottage Food Operation must be included on the label.

I make and sell wedding cakes under the Cottage Food Law. How can I meet the labeling requirements, when I can't stick a label on the cake?

For wedding cakes, birthday cakes, and other specialty cakes that are not easily packaged, you must include all labeling requirements on the invoice and deliver the invoice with the cake. Smaller cakes must be boxed and the label must be included on the box.

Can I offer returnable glassware or serving dishes with my wedding cakes, birthday cakes, or other specialty cakes?

Yes. You are required to follow the same cleaning procedures as with all of your food use equipment.