Lightning Fast Turnaround!
Lightning Fast Turnaround!
Cottage food laws allow small producers to sell certain homemade foods without a commercial kitchen. Farmers’ markets, roadside stands, and local events are common outlets. While the product may be made at home, customers still expect a professional experience.
Your packaging and labels are often the only information a shopper has when choosing between your jam and the one at the next table. Good labels do more than meet legal requirements. They:
Custom stickers and labels give cottage food businesses a simple way to meet cottage food law requirements and present their products like a serious brand, not a hobby.
Cottage food laws vary by state, but most share some common themes:
Always check your state and local regulations for exact details. Many states publish clear checklists or sample labels for cottage foods.
Even with differences, most cottage food labels must include some version of the items below.
While you must always check your specific state’s Department of Health or Agriculture website for exact wording, most Cottage Food operations are required to include specific data points on every single package sold. Using a custom sticker allows you to pre-print this information legibly.
This is simply the common name of the product. It must be clear and not misleading. For example, “Chocolate Chip Cookies” or “Strawberry Jalapeno Jam.”
You must list the net weight of the product in both standard (ounces/pounds) and metric (grams/kilograms) units. For some items like cookies, a count (e.g., “1 Dozen”) may suffice, but weight is the standard for most packaged goods.
This is often the most difficult part to format. Ingredients must be listed in descending order by weight. This means the ingredient you used the most of goes first. You must also include the sub-ingredients of any processed items you use. For example, if you use chocolate chips, you cannot just list “chocolate chips.” You must list “Chocolate Chips (sugar, chocolate liquor, cocoa butter, soy lecithin).”
You must clearly identify if the product contains any of the major food allergens: milk, eggs, fish, shellfish, tree nuts, peanuts, wheat, or soybeans. This is critical for liability protection.
The label must include your business name and the physical address of the home kitchen where the product was produced.
This is the most critical compliance element. Most states require a specific sentence, usually in a set font size, stating something to the effect of: “Made in a home kitchen not subject to public health inspection.”
The challenge for farmers market sellers is fitting all this legal text onto a package without making it look like a generic prescription bottle. This is where custom design becomes a strategic asset. By utilizing The Bumper Sticker’s customization tools, you can create a label that serves both your legal needs and your marketing goals.
Trying to cram your logo and the ingredient list onto one small circle often leads to a cluttered, unreadable mess. A professional approach is to use two labels.
For items like clam shell containers, paper bags, or jars, you can use a long, narrow sticker as a freshness seal. Design the sticker to go over the lid and down the side of the jar. This serves as a safety seal that shows the customer the product has not been opened, while providing extra surface area for your logo or website URL.
Food packaging presents unique environmental challenges that standard paper labels often cannot handle.
Yes, this is a very common and cost-effective practice. You can design your custom sticker with all the static information (ingredients, logo, address) printed, but leave a designated blank space or a white box labeled “Baked On” or “Best By.” You can then fill this in with a permanent marker as you package each batch. This allows you to buy labels in bulk without worrying about specific dates.
In most states, yes. The law strictly requires the physical address of the kitchen where the food was prepared. Some states may allow a unique identification number if you register with the county, but you typically cannot use a PO Box. Always check your specific state regulations to see if there are any privacy exceptions.
For standard Mason jars (8oz or 16oz), a 2 inch or 2.5 inch circle fits the lid perfectly. For the side of a jar or a bakery box, a 2×3 inch or 3×4 inch rectangle usually provides enough space for the text to be readable (at least 1/16th inch font size is usually required) without dominating the package.
Many cottage food laws do not require a full Nutrition Facts panel for small producers, but there are exceptions, especially if you make certain claims such as “low fat” or “sugar free.” If you stay away from regulated claims, you may be able to omit full nutrition labeling. Confirm with your state guidelines or a regulatory contact before finalizing your design.
Some jurisdictions allow handwritten labels as long as they are legible and contain all required information. However, handwritten labels can look inconsistent and may be harder to read. Custom printed stickers provide a more professional image and are easier to standardize across batches and products.
Paper labels can be acceptable for dry goods stored at room temperature, but they often do not hold up well to condensation, coolers, or handling. For jams, sauces, refrigerated items, or outdoor markets in humid climates, vinyl or other durable materials are usually a better choice.
You can create a general template and adjust product name, ingredients, and weight for each item. However, each product must have accurate, specific information. Many sellers use a consistent layout and branding across all labels while changing only the variable fields for each product.
Cottage food laws are designed to make local food businesses possible without industrial kitchens, not to keep packaging at a homemade level. Clear, compliant, and attractive labels signal that you take both customer safety and your brand seriously.
By:
You elevate your presentation beyond simple compliance. Shoppers at farmers’ markets may not consciously analyze labels, but they do respond to packaging that is thoughtful and professional.
If you’re ready to move from handwritten or generic labels to something more polished, starting with a small run of custom stickers from The Bumper Sticker tailored to one or two key products is a practical first step.
