Do You Need a Nutrition Facts Label to Sell Homemade Food?
It is the question that stops most new food sellers cold. The honest answer is: often no, but sometimes yes, and the difference comes down to where and how you sell. Here is how to tell which side you are on.
The general rule for cottage food
If you sell shelf-stable homemade food directly to the person eating it, under your state's cottage food law, you are usually exempt from the full Nutrition Facts panel. A farmers market cookie does not need the panel in most states. What you do still need is the rest of the label: product name, net weight, ingredient list, allergen statement, business name and address, and your state's home-kitchen disclaimer.
When you do need the panel
The exemption is tied to selling small and selling direct. Step outside that and the Nutrition Facts panel usually comes back into play.
- Selling wholesale to stores for resale
- Shipping across state lines
- Listing on a marketplace like Amazon, which requires a Nutrition Facts panel image
- Making a nutrition claim such as low sugar, high protein, or keto
- Growing past your state's cottage food sales cap
Any one of these can move you from exempt to required, so match your label to your biggest planned sales channel, not your smallest.
A nutrition claim changes everything
The moment you put a nutrition or health claim on the package, low fat, high fiber, keto friendly, you invite the full rules, including the panel and the specific criteria behind the claim. If you are not ready for that, describe the flavor instead of the nutrition.
When in doubt, make the panel anyway
A Nutrition Facts panel never hurts. Buyers trust it, marketplaces expect it, and it saves you a scramble the day you decide to sell wholesale. Nutripane builds the panel from your recipe, free to preview, so you can have it ready whether your state requires it or not.
Questions
Do farmers market foods need a nutrition label?
In most states, no. Cottage food sold directly to customers, including at farmers markets, is usually exempt from the full Nutrition Facts panel, as long as your label carries the product name, net weight, ingredient list, allergen statement, business details, and your state's disclaimer. Confirm with your state's program.
Does Amazon require a Nutrition Facts label?
Yes. Selling food on Amazon generally requires a Nutrition Facts panel image on the product, along with a complete ingredient and allergen statement. Marketplace and interstate sales usually fall outside cottage food exemptions, so plan on providing the panel.
Keep reading
This page is general information, not legal advice. Cottage food and food labeling rules vary by state and change over time. Confirm current requirements with your state's cottage food program and the FDA before you sell. See your state's rules or how to label your product.