Cottage food label requirements in Maryland
The short version
A label on food made in a home kitchen in Maryland 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 Maryland, read on 5 August 2026:
Made by a cottage food business that is not subject to Maryland's food safety regulations.
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.
Who actually enforces this
Maryland sets the rules centrally but they are enforced locally, so the answer that counts is your own office's rather than the state's. Find the office nearest you.
The detail
COMAR 10.15.03. Label must also carry business name and address (a unique ID number issued by MDH may replace the address, but then the phone number is mandatory), product name, ingredients and sub-ingredients in descending order by weight, net weight/count/volume, federal allergen info, and nutrition info only if a nutrition or health claim is made. All labels must be in English. Selling to a retail food store adds three more label items (phone, email, date made) and requires prior written MDH approval plus an ANSI-accredited basic food safety course within the past 3 years. Revenue cap $50,000/yr; in-state direct sales only.
Make one
Free, nothing saved, no account. It fills in Maryland'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: