Cottage food label requirements in Kentucky

Last checked 5 August 2026 · Informational only, not legal or food-safety advice. Verify anything important with Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services, Department for Public Health, Food Safety Branch before you print a run of labels.

The short version

A label on food made in a home kitchen in Kentucky 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 Kentucky, read on 5 August 2026:

This product is home-produced and processed.

This is published as fixed text, so reproduce it exactly rather than rewording it. It has to appear at 10 point type or larger, which is part of the requirement rather than a design choice.

And 2 more requirements

The date the product was processed.
Allergen identification for milk, eggs, wheat, soybean (soy), peanuts, tree nuts, sesame, fish, and shellfish (in the ingredient list or a 'Contains:' statement).

The detail

This is the Home-Based Processor (HBP) program under KRS 217.136 / 902 KAR 45:090. Registration is required first: form DFS-250 plus a $50 fee mailed to KY Food Safety Branch, 275 East Main Street, HS1C-F, Frankfort KY 40621; the registration runs April 1 to March 31. Label must also carry the operation's name and full street address, city, state and zip; ingredients in descending order by weight; net weight or volume. Only foods listed in 902 KAR 45:090 are allowed (bread, cakes, cookies, fruit pies, pecan pies, candy, jams and jellies from high-acid fruit, dried/freeze-dried produce, granola, popcorn, sorghum and maple syrup, etc.); anything off the list gets the application rejected. Home-Based Microprocessors (KRS 217.137) are a separate program and must submit draft labels to the cabinet for review before marketing. Do not shorten to 'home-produced' - the statutory phrase includes 'and processed'.

Make one

Free, nothing saved, no account. It fills in Kentucky'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: