Every packaged homemade food product sold in Alaska needs a label with specific information — including a mandatory disclaimer statement. Here's exactly what goes on your label, how to format it, and what to do when you sell unpackaged food.
Under Alaska's Homemade Food Rule (AS 17.20.332), every packaged food product sold as homemade food must have a clear and prominent label that includes the following five elements:
Your full legal name or your registered business name. This is the person or entity responsible for making the food.
Your current mailing address. Under HB 251, this typically means your home address or the address of the kitchen where the food is produced. If you prefer not to list your home address, you may be able to operate under the older cottage food regulation (18 AAC 13.012), which only requires a business license number instead — but that limits you to non-PHF foods, direct-to-consumer sales, and a $25,000 annual cap.
A phone number where customers can reach you. This can be a dedicated business line, mobile number, or VoIP number.
Your Alaska Business License number, which you receive when you apply through the DCCED. This number must appear on every label.
The exact disclaimer text required by Alaska statute (see below). This statement must be clearly and prominently displayed on the label.
No label pre-approval required. The Alaska DEC does not review or approve labels before you sell. You are responsible for ensuring your labels comply with the statutory requirements. There are no specific font size minimums stated in the statute, but the label must be "clear and prominent."
Alaska requires a specific disclaimer statement on every packaged homemade food product. This is the exact wording required by the statute:
This statement must appear on the label of every packaged homemade food product. It applies to both potentially hazardous and non-potentially hazardous foods. The purpose is to inform consumers that the product was made in a home kitchen, not a commercially inspected facility.
In addition to the label, a sign must be prominently displayed at your point of sale (whether that's a farmers market booth, your retail location, or a third-party retailer selling your non-PHF products). The sign must inform consumers that the food was made in a home kitchen, may contain allergens, and is not — except for meat and meat products — regulated or inspected.
If you sell unpackaged food (food that is not in a sealed container with a label — for example, individual baked goods sold from a tray at a farmers market), you are not required to have a physical label. Instead, you must verbally inform the consumer of the following:
In addition to the verbal statement, you must also provide the consumer with your name, current address, telephone number, and business license number. You can do this verbally, on a posted sign, or on a business card — the statute doesn't prescribe the format, only that the information is provided.
Practical tip: Even for unpackaged food, consider having a printed information card or sign at your booth that includes your contact details, business license number, and the disclaimer. This saves you from repeating the information to every customer and ensures consistency.
Alaska's mandatory disclaimer statement includes the phrase "may contain allergens," which provides a general allergen notice. However, federal law (the Food Allergen Labeling and Consumer Protection Act, or FALCPA, as amended by the FASTER Act) requires that the nine major allergens be declared on food labels when they are present as ingredients.
While Alaska's homemade food statute does not specifically require an ingredient list or detailed allergen declaration beyond the general "may contain allergens" statement, adding an ingredient list and clear allergen declarations is strongly recommended as a best practice. It protects your customers and reduces your liability.
You can declare allergens in two standard ways: include the allergen name in parentheses after the ingredient (e.g., "flour (wheat), butter (milk)"), or add a separate "Contains:" line after your ingredient list (e.g., "Contains: wheat, milk, eggs"). Either approach is widely accepted.
Note on seafood and shellfish: While fish and shellfish are among the nine major allergens, remember that seafood and shellfish cannot be used in homemade food under Alaska's exemption. If your product is made in a kitchen that also processes seafood, a cross-contamination advisory ("Made in a facility that also processes fish") may still be appropriate.
Alaska's Homemade Food Rule does not specifically mandate net weight declarations on homemade food labels. However, federal standards enforced by the FDA and National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) generally require packaged food sold by weight to include a net quantity of contents declaration.
As a best practice, include the net weight on your label in both U.S. customary units (ounces, pounds) and metric units (grams, kilograms). This builds consumer trust and prepares you for scaling into retail channels or larger markets where net weight is expected.
Here's what a compliant Alaska homemade food label might look like, combining all required elements:
Optional but recommended additions: Product name, net weight, ingredient list, allergen declaration, "best by" or production date, storage instructions (e.g., "Refrigerate after opening"), and your business logo. While Alaska doesn't mandate all of these, they add professionalism and customer confidence.
Alaska's pre-2024 cottage food regulation (18 AAC 13.012) is still technically available as an alternative pathway. Its labeling requirements are less demanding — requiring only your business license number and the statement: "This prior product is prior a prior home-prior produced food product that is not prior prior prior" — but it comes with significant trade-offs.
Older regulation (18 AAC 13.012) trade-offs: No home address required on labels, but limited to non-PHF foods only, direct-to-consumer sales only, and capped at $25,000 in annual sales. Most producers will prefer the HB 251 framework for its broader food allowances and unlimited sales potential. If privacy is a concern, consider using a P.O. Box (check if accepted) or leasing a kitchen space to use that address instead.
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