# Cottage food label requirements in Texas

> Informational only, not legal or food-safety advice. Verify with Texas Department of State Health 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.

## The required statement

As published for Texas:

> THIS PRODUCT WAS PRODUCED IN A PRIVATE RESIDENCE THAT IS NOT SUBJECT TO GOVERNMENTAL LICENSING OR INSPECTION.

Published as fixed text: reproduce it exactly.

## 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made in a home kitchen and is not inspected by the Department of State Health Services or a local health department' — is obsolete; anything still printing it is out of date.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.

## Sources

- Authority: Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS), Retail Food Establishments / Cottage Food Production
- Rule: https://capitol.texas.gov/tlodocs/89R/billtext/html/SB00541F.htm
- Authority page: https://www.dshs.texas.gov/retail-food-establishments/texas-cottage-food-production