A compliant label under the Texas cottage food law label requirements has to carry five things: a specific disclosure statement printed word for word, your business name, either your home address or a DSHS registration number, the common name of the product, and any major allergens it contains. Perishable items need two more pieces of information. Everything flows from Section 437.0193 of the Texas Health and Safety Code, and the wording is not flexible.
The Exact Disclosure Statement
Every label must carry this sentence, in these words:
“THIS PRODUCT WAS PRODUCED IN A PRIVATE RESIDENCE THAT IS NOT SUBJECT TO GOVERNMENTAL LICENSING OR INSPECTION.”
That language comes straight from Section 437.0193(b)(2).1State of Texas. Texas Code Health and Safety Code 437.0193 – Packaging and Labeling Requirements for Cottage Food Production Operations Do not paraphrase it, shorten it, or soften it. Older guides sometimes circulate a version that names the Department of State Health Services inside the disclosure. That is not the statutory wording and should not be used.
Business Name, Address or Registration Number, and Product Name
Three identifying items go on every label alongside the disclosure:
- The name of your cottage food production operation.
- Either the physical address where you produce the food, or a unique identification number issued by the Department of State Health Services.
- The common or usual name of the product, so a buyer can tell what they are buying.
The registration-number option is new. Starting September 1, 2025, operators can register with DSHS and print a unique identification number on the label instead of a home address.2Texas Department of State Health Services. Texas Cottage Food Production If you take that route, the label still has to carry either the address or the registration number by the time the customer receives the product.1State of Texas. Texas Code Health and Safety Code 437.0193 – Packaging and Labeling Requirements for Cottage Food Production Operations
Allergens You Have to Declare
If the product contains any of these ingredients, the label must say so:
- Milk
- Eggs
- Wheat
- Soy
- Peanuts
- Tree nuts
- Sesame
For tree nuts, name the specific variety. “Tree nuts” alone is not sufficient; write “pecans,” “almonds,” or “walnuts” so a customer with a specific allergy can decide safely.2Texas Department of State Health Services. Texas Cottage Food Production Fish and crustacean shellfish are major allergens under federal law but do not appear on the cottage food list because cottage operations cannot sell seafood at all.3Food and Drug Administration. Food Allergen Labeling and Consumer Protection Act of 2004
Allergen errors are where cottage operators face the most real-world exposure. A customer with a severe peanut or sesame allergy has no margin for a missing line on a label.
Extra Rules for Perishable and Acidified Products
If you sell any food that requires temperature control for safety, two additional elements apply:
- The date the food was made. This must appear on the label itself.
- A safe handling statement, printed in at least 12-point font: “SAFE HANDLING INSTRUCTIONS: To prevent illness from bacteria, keep this food refrigerated or frozen until the food is prepared for consumption.”
The safe handling statement can appear on the label or on an invoice or receipt delivered with the food. The production date has to be on the label.1State of Texas. Texas Code Health and Safety Code 437.0193 – Packaging and Labeling Requirements for Cottage Food Production Operations
Pickled fruits or vegetables, fermented vegetable products, and plant-based acidified canned goods carry one more requirement: each batch needs a unique batch number on the label.2Texas Department of State Health Services. Texas Cottage Food Production
Legibility, Packaging, and Oversized Items
All label text has to be legible. The statute sets a specific font size only for the safe handling statement (12-point); for everything else the working standard is that a customer can read every word without squinting.2Texas Department of State Health Services. Texas Cottage Food Production
Cottage food products must be packaged in a way that prevents contamination, with the label attached to the package. One exception exists for items too large or bulky for conventional packaging, such as a tiered wedding cake. For those, the required information goes on an invoice or receipt delivered to the buyer instead.1State of Texas. Texas Code Health and Safety Code 437.0193 – Packaging and Labeling Requirements for Cottage Food Production Operations
What Online Sales Add
If you take orders through a website, all the required labeling information must be posted on the site in a legible statement before the customer pays. That means the disclosure sentence, your business name, allergen declarations, and every other required element has to be visible pre-purchase. The physical label or receipt still has to carry your address or DSHS registration number when the product reaches the buyer.2Texas Department of State Health Services. Texas Cottage Food Production
Online orders have to be delivered personally by you or a member of your household. Shipping cottage food by mail or sending it with a third-party carrier is not allowed.
What Happens If You Get the Label Wrong
Food with incomplete or misleading labeling can be treated as misbranded under Texas Health and Safety Code Chapter 431. A product is misbranded if its labeling is false or misleading, if it fails to identify the manufacturer and place of business, or if required information is not displayed prominently enough for an ordinary buyer to see.4State of Texas. Texas Code Health and Safety Code 431.082 – Misbranded Food DSHS can take enforcement action, including ordering you to stop selling until the problem is fixed.
The larger practical risk is a customer claim. An allergic reaction tied to a missing allergen, or illness from a perishable item sold without safe handling instructions, becomes your personal liability. Getting every element on the label right is the simplest protection available, and it costs nothing beyond careful proofreading.