Cottage food label requirements in Vermont
The short version
A label on food made in a home kitchen in Vermont 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 Vermont, read on 5 August 2026:
Made in a home kitchen not inspected by the Vermont Department of Health
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.
The detail
Vermont runs a license-exemption scheme, not a permit-free one. Operating under the exemption requires filing annually with the Health Department's online portal before January 15 and completing annual food safety / manufacturing training. The Health Department page also requires the statement be in a color contrasting with the label background. Other required label elements: producer name and address, product name, ingredients in descending order by weight, net weight or volume, federal allergen declaration, and nutrition labeling if any nutrient content claim is made. Above the exemption's sales threshold a home processor license is required instead.
Make one
Free, nothing saved, no account. It fills in Vermont'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: