How to Label Food for a Farmers Market
You booked a market table and now you need labels by Saturday. Selling direct to customers is the friendliest case there is, but the package still has to say a few specific things. Here is what belongs on every one.
Do you need a Nutrition Facts panel at a farmers market?
Panel usually not requiredSelling direct to customers at a farmers market is the classic cottage food case. In most states you are exempt from the full Nutrition Facts panel, as long as the rest of the label is there: product name, net weight, ingredient list, allergen line, business name and address, and your state's home-kitchen disclaimer.
Nutripane builds the Nutrition Facts panel and the ingredient, allergen, and disclaimer label from your recipe, so you are ready whether this channel needs the panel or not.
What your label needs to sell at a farmers market
- ✓Product name. The common name of the food, so a buyer knows what it is.
- ✓Net quantity. The weight or count in the package, usually shown on the front.
- ✓Ingredient list. Every ingredient, listed heaviest-first by weight.
- ✓Allergen statement. A Contains line for any of the nine major allergens in your recipe.
- ✓Business name and address. Who made the food and where they can be reached.
- ✓Home-kitchen disclaimer. The cottage food sentence your state requires, for direct sales.
What is different when you sell at a farmers market
- ✓ Your state's home-kitchen disclaimer, printed on every package
- ✓ A legible allergen Contains line a shopper can read at the table
- ✓ Net weight on the front of each package
One thing sellers miss selling at a farmers market
Exempt from the panel does not mean exempt from the label. Markets and inspectors still expect the ingredient list, the allergen line, and your state's disclaimer on every package, not one sign for the whole table.
Popular foods to sell at a farmers market
Questions
Do farmers market foods need a nutrition label?
In most states, no. Cottage food sold directly to customers at a farmers market is usually exempt from the full Nutrition Facts panel. You still need the product name, net weight, ingredient list, allergen statement, business name and address, and your state's disclaimer. Confirm with your state and market.
What do I put on a label for the farmers market?
The product name, the net weight, a heaviest-first ingredient list, an allergen Contains line, your business name and address, and your state's home-kitchen disclaimer. Nutripane builds that label, and the panel too if a buyer ever asks.
Read next
Selling somewhere else?
This page is general information, not legal advice. Food labeling, cottage food rules, and marketplace policies vary by state and change over time. Confirm current requirements with your state's cottage food program and the place you plan to sell. See your state's rules or another channel.