Ohio requires six specific elements on every cottage food label — including a mandatory home-produced statement in 10-point type. Here is exactly what goes on the label, where it goes, and how to format it correctly.
Every unit of cottage food offered or distributed for sale in Ohio must carry all six elements. A product missing any one of these is considered misbranded and subject to ODA enforcement action. Label information may appear across multiple panels — it does not all need to be on a single face of the package.
The name and address of the cottage food production operation must appear on the label. This does not need to be a separate business name — your own name and home address fully satisfy this requirement.
The common or usual name of the food product. This is the identity of what's in the package — it should be prominent and accurate. Custom or fanciful names are fine as long as the common food name is also present.
All ingredients listed in descending order of predominance by weight — heaviest ingredient first, lightest last. Each ingredient must use its common or usual name. Sub-ingredients of compound ingredients must be listed in parentheses. Partially hydrogenated oils (trans fats) are prohibited in Ohio cottage food products.
The net weight or volume must appear in both U.S. Customary units and metric (SI) units. The metric declaration goes in parentheses after the U.S. measure. Net weight must be placed on the principal display panel, within the bottom 30% of that panel, in lines generally parallel to the bottom of the package.
If any ingredient is or contains protein from one of the Big 9 major food allergens, it must be declared. This can be done within the ingredient list using the common allergen name, or by a "Contains:" statement placed immediately after or adjacent to the ingredient list. Both formats are acceptable in Ohio.
Ohio law (ORC 3715.023) requires the following exact statement on every cottage food label, printed in a minimum of 10-point type. The statement must be legible and in high contrast with the label background. This is non-negotiable and non-modifiable — it must appear exactly as written.
This statement means the product was made in a private home that is not subject to inspection by a food regulatory authority. It must appear in 10-point type minimum, in legible contrast with the label background. It may appear on a separate panel from the other required elements.
This example shows how all six required elements come together on a single cottage food label. Information may be distributed across multiple panels — everything does not need to fit on one side of the package.
Producer name and full home address. May be your legal name — no separate business entity required.
Common or usual name of the food. Custom names are fine as long as the common food name is present.
Descending by weight. Sub-ingredients in parentheses. No partially hydrogenated oils permitted.
"Contains:" statement immediately adjacent to ingredient list. Both formatting options are valid in Ohio.
U.S. customary first, metric in parentheses. Must be in the bottom 30% of the principal display panel.
Exact Ohio-required statement in minimum 10-point type. Cannot be modified or paraphrased.
Federal law (FALCPA as updated by FASTER Act 2023) requires declaration of nine major food allergens. Ohio cottage food labeling must comply with FDA allergen labeling rules under 21 CFR Part 101. If any of your ingredients contain protein from one of these sources, you must declare it — in the ingredient list or in a separate "Contains:" statement.
Ohio follows FDA regulations under 21 CFR Part 101 for net weight declaration. The net quantity of contents must appear on the principal display panel (the part of the label most likely to be seen by consumers at point of purchase), placed within the bottom 30% of that panel, in lines parallel to the bottom of the package.
The U.S. Customary declaration (ounces, pounds, fluid ounces) comes first; the metric declaration (grams, kilograms, milliliters, liters) follows in parentheses. Type size requirements vary based on the size of the principal display panel — generally a minimum of 1/16 inch for small packages.
ODA can conduct food sampling at any time to check for misbranded or adulterated products. These are the most frequent labeling errors Ohio cottage food sellers make — and how to avoid them.
The statement is required on every unit and must be at least 10-point type. Many home-printed labels use 8pt or smaller to save space, which puts the product out of compliance.
Ingredients must be listed heaviest first. Many sellers list ingredients alphabetically or in order of addition to the recipe — neither is correct.
"Chocolate chips" is not sufficient — it must read "chocolate chips (chocolate, sugar, cocoa butter, soy lecithin)" showing all components of the compound ingredient.
Ohio requires both U.S. Customary and metric (SI) weight declarations. Printing only "8 oz" with no gram equivalent is a labeling violation.
The "Contains:" statement must be immediately after or adjacent to the ingredient list. Placing it elsewhere on the label (e.g., front of package only) does not satisfy the requirement.
FDA rules require the net weight to be in the lower portion of the front/principal display panel. Many labels crowd it into the top or middle of the label.
SellFood's label creator includes Ohio's required home-produced statement, allergen declaration formatting, dual-unit net weight fields, and ingredient list guidance — everything you need to print compliant labels from your first batch.