ILRegistration / Permit RequiredDirect-to-Consumer Only

Illinois Cottage Food Label Requirements

Governing Law: Illinois Home-to-Market Act (410 ILCS 625/4) · Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) & Local County Health Departments

Everything required to package and label shelf-stable home-produced foods in Illinois — including the exact mandatory disclaimer, descending ingredient order, Top 9 FASTER Act allergen declaration, and optional 21 CFR 101.9 Nutrition Facts compliance.

Annual Gross Sales Cap

No statutory annual dollar cap

Permit & Training Status

Yes — Annual registration with your local County Health Department + Certified Food Protection Manager (CFPM) certificate.

Nutrition Facts Trigger

Triggered by nutrition/health claims on labels or online product pages, or upon exceeding FDA small-business exemptions.

IL Required Home-Kitchen Statement

Mandatory Illinois Cottage Food Disclaimer Text

“This product was produced in a home kitchen not inspected by a health department that may also process common food allergens. If you have safety concerns, contact your local health department.”

Typography & Placement Rule: Also include the date the product was processed and your county registration details.

Verify Local County & State Updates: State cottage food caps, allowed food lists, and local county/municipal zoning or Board of Health ordinances change regularly. Verify exact label wording and current annual gross sales thresholds with your state Department of Agriculture / Health and local county health authority prior to commercial printing.

Illinois 6-Point Pre-Print Compliance Checklist

Verify every required label component before exporting your vector print file.

Audit Score

0/6

Auto-Fill Ready: Launch our Label Studio with Illinois’s home-kitchen statement pre-loaded alongside automatic USDA macros and Top 9 allergen auditing.
Launch Studio Pre-Filled for Illinois

Required Label Elements in Illinois

Every retail cottage food package in Illinois should display these standardized components clearly on the label.

Product Identity (Common Name)
Common or usual name of the food clearly stated on the principal display panel (e.g., "Artisan Honey Almond Granola").
Business Name & Physical Address
Name and street address (or city/state/ZIP if listed in a public directory under FDA 21 CFR 101.5) of the cottage food producer.
Net Weight / Volume Declaration
Net quantity of contents in both U.S. customary (oz / lb / fl oz) and metric (g / ml) units placed in the bottom 30% of the front panel.
Ingredients Descending by Weight
All ingredients and sub-ingredients declared in descending order of predominance by raw formula weight before baking/moisture loss.
Top 9 Major Allergens (FALCPA + FASTER Act)
Explicitly declare Milk, Eggs, Fish, Crustacean Shellfish, Tree Nuts (specific species), Peanuts, Wheat, Soybeans, and Sesame (mandatory nationwide since Jan 2023).
Illinois Home-Kitchen Disclaimer
Full IDPH allergen/inspection notice plus date processed, producer name, registration county, ingredients, net weight, and Top 9 allergens.
Nutrition Facts Panel Trigger
Required if making nutrient claims or if selling outside small-business FDA exemptions.

Frequently Asked Questions: Illinois Cottage Food Labeling

Can Illinois cottage food businesses ship within Illinois?

Yes — under the Illinois Home-to-Market Act, registered cottage food operators can sell direct-to-consumer at farmers markets, fairs, home pickup, delivery, and shipped within Illinois (direct-to-consumer only, no third-party retail wholesale).

Do Illinois cottage food labels require a processing date?

Yes. Illinois requires the date the product was processed on every cottage food label alongside the home-kitchen allergen/inspection statement.

Explore Other State Cottage Food Label Guides

Compare mandatory home-kitchen disclaimers and sales limits across all 15 covered states.

All 15 States Hub