Cottage food laws let many home kitchens sell specific non-hazardous foods (jams, certain baked goods, dry mixes) with lighter rules than a licensed food plant. A full FDA-style Nutrition Facts panel is often not required for those direct, in-state sales — but ingredients, allergens, and your name and address usually still are. This page maps that distinction and where a nutrition facts label maker fits when you do want or need the panel.
Short answer
Check your state cottage food statute (and any local health department add-ons) before you print anything. If you are exempt from Nutrition Facts, do not treat a downloaded PDF as a license. If you outgrow the exemption, sell wholesale, ship interstate in a way that triggers FDA labeling, or make nutrient claims, you likely need a standard panel — start with Standard Vertical.
Cottage food is state law first
There is no single U.S. “cottage food Nutrition Facts rule.” States differ on allowed foods, revenue caps, where you may sell (home, farmers market, online in-state), and the exact words required on the label (“made in a home kitchen,” etc.). Always read the current text from your state department of agriculture or health — not a blog post.
Longer walkthrough for homemade products: How to make nutrition labels for homemade foods.
When a full Nutrition Facts panel shows up
- You leave the cottage exemption (revenue, food type, or sales channel).
- A retailer, distributor, or marketplace requires the FDA panel on the pack.
- You make a nutrient content claim (“low sugar,” “high protein”) that pulls you into full labeling.
- You simply want the pack to look like grocery — optional, but then the numbers must be defensible.
What usually still belongs on the pack
Even when Nutrition Facts is exempt, cottage sellers commonly still need a product name, net quantity, ingredient list, allergen statement (nine major allergens), and manufacturer name/address. This maker can format a Nutrition Facts panel plus ingredient/allergen/manufacturer blocks — it is not a complete cottage food label template for every state disclaimer.
How to make the panel if you need one
Get numbers from recipe math or a professional analysis (nutrition data guide), then follow how to make a Nutrition Facts label. Most jars and loaf bags use Standard Vertical. Small tins use linear. Preview is free; PDF is $4 per download.
Open Standard Vertical (preview free)FAQ
Can this site tell me if my state requires the panel?
No. We do not look up your license. Use official state sources.
Is a homemade PDF “FDA approved”?
No. Layouts follow FDA 2016 format. Your data and your legal category are on you. See the disclaimer.
Not legal advice. Cottage food and FDA labeling are separate systems that sometimes overlap — verify both.
