# Cottage food label requirements in Illinois

> Informational only, not legal or food-safety advice. Verify with your local before printing labels. Last checked 2026-08-05.

## What goes on the label

1. The product name, in words a customer would use.
2. Every ingredient, heaviest first.
3. The major allergens, called out separately from the ingredient list.
4. Who made it: your name or your business name.
5. How to reach you.
6. The date it was made.

## The required statement

As published for Illinois:

> This product was produced in a home kitchen not inspected by a health department that may also process common food allergens. If you have safety concerns, contact your local health department.

Published as fixed text: reproduce it exactly.

## Other requirements

- Point of sale (placard at a physical display, or a message on an online sales interface): "This product was produced in a home kitchen not inspected by a health department that may also process common food allergens."

## Enforcement

Set centrally, enforced locally, so your own office's answer is the one that counts.
Find yours: https://dph.illinois.gov/contact-us/regional-health-departments.html

## Detail

410 ILCS 625/4(b)(7). The statement must appear 'in prominent lettering' - the statute gives no point size. The label must also carry: the name of the cottage food operation AND the unit of local government (county, township, city or village) where it is located; the registration number issued by the local health department on the certificate of registration and the name of the municipality or county where the registration was filed; the common or usual name of the product; all ingredients including colours, artificial flavours and preservatives in descending order by weight; the date the product was processed; and federal allergen labelling. Registration with the local health department where you reside is mandatory, so the label cannot be produced until that number exists. Chicago registers through CDPH rather than a county department.

## Sources

- Authority: Your local (county or municipal) health department - it registers cottage food operations and enforces; the Illinois Department of Public Health sets the framework
- Rule: https://www.ilga.gov/Legislation/ILCS/Fulltext?DocName=041006250K4
- Authority page: https://dph.illinois.gov/topics-services/food-safety/cottage-food.html