Cottage food label requirements in Iowa
The short version
A label on food made in a home kitchen in Iowa 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 Iowa, read on 5 August 2026:
This product was produced at a residential property that is exempt from state licensing and inspection.
This is published as fixed text, so reproduce it exactly rather than rewording it.
And 2 more requirements
- If the cottage food contains one or more major food allergens, an additional allergen statement identifying each major allergen by its common name.
- If the food is home-processed and home-canned pickles, vegetables, or fruits, the date the food was processed and canned.
The detail
Iowa Code 137F.20 is fixed statutory text and introduces the sentence with 'The following statement:', so reproduce it exactly, period included. Label must also carry the preparer's name and address/phone/email, the common name of the food, and ingredients in descending order of predominance. The exemption applies only when the producer sells and delivers directly to the consumer (in person, remote, phone, internet, mail, or the producer's own agent/employee). No net weight and no type size are specified. Statute also says compliance with the state cottage food exemption is NOT compliance with federal law. A separate Home Food Processing Establishment (HFPE) license exists for products beyond cottage food; HFPEs are licensed and inspected and do NOT use this statement.
Make one
Free, nothing saved, no account. It fills in Iowa'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: