Michigan Cottage Food Label Requirements (2026): Every Element, With Examples
Michigan cottage food label requirements explained: every required element, the exact home-kitchen statement, allergen rules and two full example labels.
By the Ajinto teamUpdated Facts checked against MCL 289.4102 and MDARD on 10 min read
The short answer
- Every Michigan cottage food product must be labeled before sale with your name and home kitchen address (or name, phone and MSU registration number), product name, ingredients by weight, net weight with the metric equivalent, and allergens.
- The label must include "Made in a home kitchen that has not been inspected by the Michigan Department of Agriculture & Rural Development" in at least 11-point type (about 1/8 inch tall).
- P.O. boxes are not allowed; optional MSU Product Center registration (one-time fee capped at $50) lets you print a phone number and C-number instead of your address.
- List sub-ingredients of prepared items, name the specific tree nut, and include sesame, one of nine federal major allergens.
- Wedding and specialty cakes that can't take a label must carry all label information on an invoice delivered with the cake.
Every Michigan cottage food product must be labeled before it's sold with six things: your name and home kitchen address (or name, phone and MSU registration number), the product name, ingredients in descending order by weight, net weight or volume with the metric equivalent, allergens, and the "Made in a home kitchen" statement in type at least 1/8 inch tall.
That's the whole list. The details are where sellers slip up: sub-ingredients, the metric conversion, naming the tree nut, and the size of that statement. This guide covers each element, why it's there, two complete example labels, and the mistakes to check for before you print. To make a label right now, use the free Michigan cottage food label generator: it adds the statement, the metric conversion and the Contains line, and checks for the mistakes below.
What has to be on a Michigan cottage food label?
Michigan's cottage food law (MCL 289.4102) exempts you from licensing and inspection, but not from labeling. Products must be prepackaged and labeled before sale, whether you sell at a farmers market, from your porch, or online. MDARD's labeling page lists the required elements:
| # | Element | What it looks like |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Name and physical address of the operation, or name + phone + MSU registration number | Maple Lane Bakery, 123 Example St., Grand Rapids, MI |
| 2 | Product name | Chocolate Chip Cookies |
| 3 | Ingredients, in descending order by weight, with sub-ingredients | Flour (wheat flour, niacin…), butter (milk, salt)… |
| 4 | Net weight or net volume, with the metric equivalent | Net Wt. 3 oz (85 g) |
| 5 | Allergen labeling per federal rules | Contains: wheat, milk, eggs, walnuts |
| 6 | The required home-kitchen statement, at least 11-point type | See below |
If you make a nutrition claim on the package, federal nutrition labeling rules also apply. More on that below.
Element by element: what to write and why
1. Your name and address (or your MSU registration)
Use the name of your cottage food operation and the physical address of your home kitchen. P.O. boxes are not allowed.
MDARD's reason is traceability: the address exists "to be able to locate the business in case of a recall or traceback associated with a foodborne illness complaint or outbreak." If a customer gets sick, the label has to lead back to the kitchen that made the food.
If you'd rather not print your home address on every bag of cookies, there's a legal alternative. Register your operation with the MSU Product Center. Registered operations may print their name, telephone number and registration number (format C-000000000) instead of the address. Registration is optional, the law caps the fee at $50 one time, and the registration information is exempt from Michigan's Freedom of Information Act.
| Address label | Registration label | |
|---|---|---|
| What you print | Business name + full home kitchen address | Business name + phone number + C-number |
| Cost | Free | One-time fee, capped at $50 by law |
| Paperwork | None | Register with MSU Product Center |
| P.O. box allowed? | No | Not applicable (no address printed) |
| Good for | Sellers comfortable sharing their address | Anyone who doesn't want their home address on every package |
2. The product name
Call it what it is: "Cinnamon Swirl Sourdough," "Strawberry Jam," "Decorated Sugar Cookies." MDARD accepts all capital letters or upper and lower case.
3. Ingredients, heaviest first, including sub-ingredients
List every ingredient in descending order of predominance by weight. The heaviest ingredient goes first. There is no "secret recipe" exception: MDARD says you're required to list all of your ingredients.
The part most people miss is sub-ingredients. If you use a prepared item, list what's in it, in parentheses. MDARD's own example: "soy sauce" alone is not acceptable, but "soy sauce (wheat, soybeans, salt)" is. The same goes for chocolate chips, butter, sprinkles, food coloring, store-bought frosting and enriched flour. Copy the ingredient list from the package of each prepared item you use.
You don't need a lab. MDARD says you can put the ingredient list together yourself; you do not have to send your product out for analysis.
4. Net weight or volume, with the metric equivalent
State how much product is in the package, and give the metric equivalent. Weigh the food, not the food plus the bag.
Common conversions (1 oz = 28.35 g):
| US | Metric |
|---|---|
| Net Wt. 2 oz | 57 g |
| Net Wt. 3 oz | 85 g |
| Net Wt. 8 oz | 227 g |
| Net Wt. 12 oz | 340 g |
| Net Wt. 16 oz (1 lb) | 454 g |
| Net 8 fl oz (for liquids and jams sold by volume) | 237 mL |
5. Allergens
Federal law names nine major food allergens: milk, eggs, wheat, soy, peanuts, tree nuts, fish, shellfish, sesame. Sesame was added by the FASTER Act, effective 2023. MDARD's labeling page still lists the older eight, so don't use it as your checklist for this item.
You can label allergens one of two ways:
- In the ingredient list. If the ingredient name already makes the allergen obvious, that's enough. MDARD's example: "whole wheat flour" identifies wheat.
- With a "Contains:" statement right after the ingredient list. If you use one, it must list every allergen in the product. MDARD's example is a bread with sodium caseinate, which comes from milk: "Contains: wheat, milk."
For tree nuts, name the nut. "Almonds," "pecans," "walnuts." A label that says only "nuts" or "tree nuts" is not acceptable.
A "Contains:" line is a useful safety net, because sub-ingredients hide allergens (whey in chocolate, soy lecithin in chips, sesame in some seeded toppings).
6. The required statement
Every label must carry this statement:
Made in a home kitchen that has not been inspected by the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development.
MDARD requires it in type at least the equivalent of 11-point font, about 1/8 inch tall, in a color that clearly contrasts with the background. All caps or mixed case are both fine. This statement tells your buyer, before they eat, that the food came from an uninspected home kitchen.
The size rule applies to the statement. Keep the rest of the label readable too; a label no one can read helps no one with an allergy.
What about a nutrition facts panel?
You don't need one just because you sell cottage food. But if you make a nutrition claim (for example, a claim about fat, sugar or calorie content), federal nutrition labeling rules apply. The simplest path for most sellers is to avoid nutrition claims on the package.
Two complete example labels
These follow the format of MDARD's own examples. Every detail below is fictional.
Example 1: with a home address
Example 2: with an MSU registration number
On a real label, print the statement at least 1/8 inch tall. Notice the second example: sesame hides inside a seasoning blend, and the "Contains:" line catches it.
How do you label a wedding cake?
Some products can't take a sticker. For wedding cakes, birthday cakes and other specialty cakes that aren't easily packaged, MDARD says to put all the required label information on the invoice and deliver the invoice with the cake.
Smaller cakes are different: they must be boxed, with the label on the box. Returnable cake stands and serving dishes are fine, as long as you clean them the same way as your other food equipment.
A Detroit baker delivering a three-tier wedding cake, for example, would hand the couple (or the venue coordinator) an invoice that lists the business name and address or registration, the product name, the full ingredient list with sub-ingredients from every layer, filling and frosting, the allergens, the amount, and the required statement. Remember that frosting choice matters here too; see what you can sell under Michigan cottage food law for the buttercream rules.
Can labels be handwritten?
Yes. MDARD accepts hand-printed labels if they are:
- clearly legible,
- written in durable, permanent ink, and
- large enough to meet the size requirement (the statement at least 1/8 inch tall).
Handwriting works for a small farmers market batch. For anything regular, printed labels are faster and easier to keep consistent from batch to batch.
Common label mistakes to check before you print
Run through this list for every product:
- P.O. box instead of a street address. Not allowed. Use your home kitchen address or your MSU registration number.
- Registration label missing a piece. It needs the name, the phone number and the C-number.
- Ingredients in recipe order, not weight order. Reorder by weight, heaviest first.
- Prepared items with no sub-ingredients. "Chocolate chips," "sprinkles" and "butter" all need their own ingredients in parentheses.
- "Nuts" instead of the specific nut. Write "pecans," "almonds," "walnuts."
- Missing sesame. It's a federal major allergen now, even though MDARD's page lists eight.
- An incomplete "Contains:" line. If you use one, every allergen must appear in it.
- Net weight with no metric equivalent. "Net Wt. 12 oz" alone is incomplete; write "Net Wt. 12 oz (340 g)."
- Statement too small or low-contrast. At least 11-point equivalent (about 1/8 inch), in a color that stands out from the background.
- Reworded statement. Use the required statement as written, not a paraphrase like "made in an uninspected kitchen."
- A recipe change without a label change. Swap brands of chocolate chips or add a topping, and the ingredient and allergen lines may change.
- Labeling after the sale. Products must be labeled before they're sold, including items packed for online orders and delivery.
Labels when you sell online, ship or deliver
The labeling rules are the same no matter how you sell. Online, mail-order and delivery sales are now allowed within Michigan if the buyer has a chance to interact with you first, but the package that reaches the customer still has to carry the full label. The guide to shipping and delivering cottage food in Michigan covers the rest of those rules.
Ajinto's label maker prints the required statement for you and lays out the name, ingredients, allergens and net weight fields, and flags a label that's missing its ingredients, net weight or address. You still supply the ingredient list and weigh your product. If you're not on Ajinto, the free label generator does the same layout and adds the metric conversion for you.
Frequently asked questions
What font size is required on a Michigan cottage food label?
The required home-kitchen statement must be at least the equivalent of 11-point type, about 1/8 inch tall, in a color that contrasts clearly with the background. MDARD doesn't set a separate minimum size for the other elements, but they need to be readable.
Can I use a P.O. box on my cottage food label?
No. You must use the physical address of your home kitchen, or register with the MSU Product Center and print your name, phone number and registration number instead.
Do I need to send my product to a lab for an ingredient list?
No. MDARD says you can write the ingredient list yourself. List all ingredients in descending order by weight, including the sub-ingredients of anything prepared.
Do cottage food labels need nutrition facts?
Not by default. Federal nutrition labeling only applies if you make a nutrition claim on the product.
Do I have to put the label on a wedding cake?
For wedding, birthday and other specialty cakes that can't easily be packaged, put all label information on the invoice and deliver it with the cake. Smaller cakes must be boxed with the label on the box.
Is MSU Product Center registration required?
No. It's optional. It lets you print a phone number and registration number instead of your home address, for a one-time fee the law caps at $50.
For the rest of the rules, including what you can make, where you can sell and the sales limit, read the complete Michigan cottage food law guide or the do you need a license explainer. If something about your product isn't covered here, email MDARD at MDARD-CottageFood@michigan.gov with your ZIP code.
This is general information, not legal advice.
Sources
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules can change; confirm anything you're unsure about with the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (MDARD-CottageFood@michigan.gov). Ajinto is not affiliated with MDARD or MSU. Spotted something out of date? Tell us at hello@ajinto.com.