Cottage food label requirements in Hawaii
The short version
A label on food made in a home kitchen in Hawaii carries six things wherever you are: what it is, everything in it heaviest first, the major allergens, who made it, how to reach you, and the date. On top of that comes the wording below.
What goes on the label
- The product name, in words a customer would use.
- Every ingredient, heaviest first.
- The major allergens, called out separately from the ingredient list.
- Who made it: your name or your business name.
- How to reach you.
- The date it was made.
What the label has to say
As published for Hawaii, read on 5 August 2026:
Made in a home kitchen not routinely inspected by the Department of Health
This is published as fixed text, so reproduce it exactly rather than rewording it.
The detail
Homemade Food (HMF) operations under HAR Chapter 11-50 are exempt from a food establishment permit. The DOH fact sheet lists five required label elements: the statement above; the common or descriptive name of the product; an ingredient list if 2+ ingredients, in descending order by weight; the major food allergens (milk, eggs, fish, shellfish, tree nuts, peanuts, wheat, soybeans, sesame); and the operator's name and contact information. Note that DOH's own sample label shows a mailing/contact line of business name, website and email - it does not show a street address. Operators must complete DOH or ANSI-accredited food safety training. Since the Act 195 (2024) rule amendments, HMF may be sold online and wholesaled to permitted establishments. Hawaii counties have no health departments; DOH Food Safety Branch has per-island offices.
Make one
Free, nothing saved, no account. It fills in Hawaii's wording for you and prints a sheet.
Where to verify all of this
Rules change, and this page can lag behind them. Before you rely on any of it: