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Yes, you must label the food with:

1. Your full name as the individual cottage food registrant OR your cottage food business name submitted on your cottage food application (if operating as a DBA or other legal Minnesota business entity),
2. Your registration number OR address submitted on the cottage food application,
3. The date that the food was made,
4. The statement “These products are homemade and not subject to state inspection", and
5. A list of ingredients contained in the product, including any major food allergens. The allergens of concern are milk, eggs, wheat, soy, peanuts, tree nuts, fish, shellfish, and sesame. More information on labeling is provided in the cottage food training course (see Training section questions above).

Please note, QR Codes cannot take the place of the required label information. A QR code can only be added in addition to the required information.

A food allergy is an abnormal immune response to food. Certain proteins in food trigger an allergic reaction. Symptoms can range from mild to moderate, to severe and life threatening. While many different foods can cause allergic reactions, nine have been identified as major food allergens (that cause most allergic reactions in the United States):  

1. Milk
2. Eggs
3. Fish (e.g., bass, flounder, cod)
4. Crustacean Shellfish (e.g., crab, lobster, shrimp)
5. Tree Nuts (e.g., almonds, walnuts, pecans)
6. Peanuts
7. Wheat
8. Soybeans
9. Sesame

More information about food allergies - https://www.fda.gov/food/buy-store-serve-safe-food/food-allergies-what-you-need-know

List food allergens as part of your ingredients list. The requirement is already met if the common or usual name of an ingredient (e.g., buttermilk) already contains the major allergen's food source name (i.e., milk). Otherwise, the allergen's food source must be declared at least once on the food label in one of two ways:

1. In parentheses following the name of the ingredient in the ingredient list. 

•  EXAMPLES:  "lecithin (soy)", "flour (wheat)", and "whey (milk)"

OR

2. Immediately after or next to the list of ingredients in a "contains" statement. 

• EXAMPLE:  "Contains Wheat, Milk, and Soy."

**NEW IN 2025**

MILK - For food labeling purposes, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) considers "milk" as milk from domesticated cows, goats, sheep, or other ruminants.

• Milk from animals other than cows, when used as an ingredient, must be declared in the ingredient list by common or usual name, such as "goat milk", or "Contains goat milk" in a separate "Contains" statement, or both.

EGGS - For food labeling purposes, the FDA considers "eggs" as eggs from domesticated chickens, ducks, geese, quail, and other fowl. 

• Eggs from birds other than chickens, when used as an ingredient, must be declared in the ingredient list by common or usual name, such as "duck egg", or "Contains duck egg" in a separate "Contains" statement, or both.

TREE NUTS - The FDA considers the following tree nuts as major food allergens: Almond, Brazil nut, Cashew, Hazelnut/filbert, Macadamia nut/Bush nut, Pecan, Pine nut/Pinon nut, Pistachio, Walnut (Black, California, English, Japanese/Heartnut, Persian).

• These tree nuts must be included in the ingredients list. Several tree nuts, including coconut, were removed from the list.

Additional Information - https://extension.umn.edu/cottage-food-safety-news/changes-major-food-allergens

You must display a sign at the point of sale that states: “These foods are homemade and not subject to state inspection.” Examples of signs can be found in the last section of this Q&A ("Other") and in the cottage food training. If you are conducting internet sales, this same statement must be posted on your website.

Cottage foods cannot be produced onsite at a community event or farmers’ market. If the business wishes to produce or dispense food or beverages onsite, they will likely need to obtain a food license. The type of foods being produced or dispensed will determine if licensure is needed from the Minnesota Department of Agriculture or a health department. Contact MDA's Food Licensing Liaison for guidance at MDA.Licensing@state.mn.us.