Cottage food label requirements in Texas
The short version
A label on food made in a home kitchen in Texas 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 Texas, read on 5 August 2026:
THIS PRODUCT WAS PRODUCED IN A PRIVATE RESIDENCE THAT IS NOT SUBJECT TO GOVERNMENTAL LICENSING OR INSPECTION.
This is published as fixed text, so reproduce it exactly rather than rewording it.
The detail
THIS TEXT CHANGED ON 1 SEPTEMBER 2025 (SB 541, 89th Legislature). The old statement — 'This food is made in a home kitchen and is not inspected by the Department of State Health Services or a local health department' — is obsolete; anything still printing it is out of date. Label must also carry: the operation's name and address (address may be replaced by a DSHS-issued unique identification number), the product's common or usual name, major food allergen declarations, and, for time/temperature control for safety foods, the date made plus safe handling instructions. The 12-point minimum in Texas law attaches to those TCS safe handling instructions, NOT to the non-inspection statement. Local health departments must record complaints but may not permit or inspect a cottage food operation; DSHS keeps emergency authority.
Make one
Free, nothing saved, no account. It fills in Texas'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: