# Cottage food label requirements in North Carolina

> Informational only, not legal or food-safety advice. Verify with North Carolina Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services 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.

## No "not inspected" statement is required

The kitchen is inspected before any sale, so there is nothing to disclaim.

## Detail

NORTH CAROLINA HAS NO 'NOT INSPECTED' STATEMENT BECAUSE THE KITCHEN IS INSPECTED. NC does not run a cottage food exemption in the usual sense: under the Home Processor programme the home kitchen must be inspected by NCDA&CS BEFORE any sales, including sales direct to consumers as well as to stores and restaurants. The inspection is free and no permit is issued, so there is no permit number to print. Printing a 'made in a home kitchen that has not been inspected' line in North Carolina would be false and could be treated as misbranding. Required label elements when the product is individually packaged for self-service, sold wholesale, or shipped: statement of identity (product name), manufacturer's name and address, net contents by weight/volume/count, complete ingredient list in descending order of predominance by weight, and an allergen statement (milk, egg, tree nuts, wheat, soy, peanuts, sesame, fish, shellfish). Labels are not required for items custom made or served on demand as a single unit, such as a wedding cake, if ingredient information is available on request.

## Sources

- Authority: North Carolina Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services (NCDA&CS), Food & Drug Protection Division, Food Program
- Rule: https://www.ncagr.gov/divisions/food-drug-protection/food-program/food-drug-food-program-home-processor
- Authority page: https://www.ncagr.gov/divisions/food-drug-protection/food-program/food-drug-food-program-home-processor