Why Labels Matter in Minnesota
Minnesota Statute 28A.152 requires that all cottage food products be labeled with specific information before they can be sold. There is no pre-approval process — the MDA does not review your labels before you sell. You are responsible for ensuring every label you use meets all legal requirements. Labels are one of the most commonly cited issues in MDA cottage food complaints.
What Every Minnesota Cottage Food Label Must Include
Five elements are legally required on every packaged cottage food product sold in Minnesota. Miss any one of them and your label is non-compliant.
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MDA Registration #CF-20240042
Every Required Label Element — In Depth
You must identify yourself as the producer. Use either your full legal name (first and last) or your registered business name — the DBA or LLC name exactly as you submitted on your MDA cottage food registration application.
If you're selling under a DBA ("Jane's Kitchen") or as an LLC ("North Star Bakehouse LLC"), use the business name. If you're a sole proprietor using your own name, use your full legal name. Nicknames, partial names, and initials alone are not sufficient.
You must provide either your street address or your MDA cottage food registration number. You do not need both. Your registration number is printed on your MDA registration card, which arrives by mail after you register.
If you prefer privacy — not wanting your home address on product labels — use your registration number instead. A PO Box is acceptable as a contact address on labels as long as it is a functioning contact address (not a closed PO Box).
Minnesota law specifically requires the date on which the food was produced — not a best-by date, not a sell-by date, not an expiration date. These are different things. A production date tells the buyer exactly when the food was made; a best-by date is a quality estimate.
You may optionally add a best-by or consume-by date in addition to the production date, but the production date is mandatory. For products made in small batches on different days, each batch must be labeled with its specific production date.
List every ingredient in your product in descending order by weight (most to least). Compound ingredients (e.g., butter, chocolate chips) should list their sub-ingredients in parentheses if they contain an allergen. Both the ingredient list and a clear allergen callout are required for human cottage foods.
Minnesota follows FDA's 9 major food allergens. You must disclose all that are present. The standard way to list them is "Contains: [Allergen], [Allergen]" after the ingredient list, or by bolding the allergen names within the ingredient list — either format works.
Minnesota law requires this specific statement to appear on the label of every cottage food product. It must be legible. There is no flexibility in the exact wording.
The 9 Major Allergens You Must Disclose
Minnesota requires cottage food labels for human foods to disclose all major food allergens. These are the 9 allergens recognized by the FDA under the Food Allergy Safety, Treatment, Education, and Research (FASTER) Act.
Point-of-Sale Signage Requirements
In addition to product labels, Minnesota law requires a visible sign or placard at every location where you sell cottage food. This includes your home, market booth, event table, and your website.
- → Must be clearly legible to customers
- → Place at eye level on your market table or booth
- → Place in a visible spot at your home if doing porch or home pickup
- → Printed, handwritten, or digital sign — any legible format is acceptable
- → Must appear on the webpage where products are offered for sale
- → Applies to your own website, Etsy shop, Facebook Marketplace, Instagram shop, etc.
- → Should be clearly visible — not buried in a terms page
- → A QR code cannot replace this text online either
QR Codes — What's Allowed and What Isn't
- ✓Providing additional product information, stories, or recipes
- ✓Linking to your website, social media, or ordering page
- ✓Providing allergen information in addition to what's on the label
- ✓Customer feedback forms or reviews
- ✓Supplementing — not replacing — any required information
- ✕The producer name or business name
- ✕The address or registration number
- ✕The production date
- ✕The ingredient list and allergen declarations
- ✕The required homemade statement
- ✕Point-of-sale signage
Label Format, Design & Printing
Minnesota does not prescribe a specific label format, size, or font. The only requirements are that all required information is present and legible. Here's practical guidance on creating professional, compliant labels.
- ✓Printed adhesive labels (Avery, Canva-designed, home-printed)
- ✓Professionally printed labels from a print shop or online service
- ✓Handwritten labels — if clearly legible (though less professional)
- ✓Labels printed directly on packaging (box, jar lid, etc.)
- ✓Separate hang tags with all required information
- ✓Kraft paper labels with rubber-stamped required statement
- ✕No label at all — even "everyone knows me at the market" is not acceptable
- ✕A QR code linking to a webpage as a substitute for any required element
- ✕A label with all information except the required homemade statement
- ✕A label with "Best By" date but no production date
- ✕Ingredient list that omits any allergen-containing ingredients
- ✕A business name on the label that differs from your MDA registration
Label Design Tools & Printing Options
Special Labeling Situations
Since the 2021 amendment, cottage food sellers can organize as LLCs and use a DBA. The name on your label must match the business name or individual name exactly as submitted on your MDA registration application. If you registered as "North Star Bakehouse LLC," that's the name that goes on labels — not just "North Star Bakehouse" or a variation.
If you change your business name, update your MDA registration before printing new labels with the new name.
Cat and dog treats sold under Minn. Stat. 25.391 follow the same labeling structure as human cottage foods with one important difference: pet treats are not required to list human food allergens.
However, best practice is to list all ingredients anyway — it helps buyers with pets who have food sensitivities, and it demonstrates professionalism. All other elements (name, address/registration number, production date, required statement) apply equally to pet treats.
When you take orders through your website, Instagram, Facebook, or any online channel, you must display the required statement on the page where products are offered for sale. This is separate from and in addition to the product label itself.
Even if a buyer orders online and picks up in person, your website must display: "These products are homemade and not subject to state inspection." This should appear prominently on your ordering page, not just in a footer or about page.
Minnesota allows cottage food producers to display bulk containers of products at markets (e.g., a tray of cookies buyers select from) and package per customer order using tongs or deli tissue. This is different from sampling and is permitted. However, the point-of-sale sign is still required, and any pre-packaged product that leaves with the buyer must have a compliant label.
If a customer picks cookies from a bulk display and you package them on-site, that package needs a label with all required elements. Pre-printed labels you apply at the market are fine.