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North Carolina Cottage Food Label Requirements

Governing Law: North Carolina Home Processor Rules (NCDA&CS Food & Drug Protection Division) · North Carolina Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services (NCDA&CS)

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

Launch Studio Pre-Filled for North CarolinaInspect Free K-100 Print Sample (PDF)

Annual Gross Sales Cap

No statutory annual dollar cap

Permit & Training Status

Yes — NCDA&CS Home Processor Application & kitchen inspection (no pets inside home; tested well water if not municipal).

Nutrition Facts Trigger

Required immediately upon making nutrient claims or entering retail/wholesale buyers beyond FDA small-business exemptions.

NC Required Home-Kitchen Statement

Mandatory North Carolina Cottage Food Disclaimer Text

“Made in an Inspected Home Kitchen (NCDA&CS Registered)”

Typography & Placement Rule: NC inspects home kitchens rather than offering an uninspected exemption; labels must satisfy standard FDA/NCDA&CS naming, net weight, descending ingredients, Top 9 allergens, and physical address.

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.

North Carolina 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 North Carolina’s home-kitchen statement pre-loaded alongside automatic USDA macros and Top 9 allergen auditing.
Launch Studio Pre-Filled for North Carolina

Required Label Elements in North Carolina

Every retail cottage food package in North Carolina 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).
North Carolina Home-Kitchen Disclaimer
Complete NCDA&CS/FDA label elements (product name, net weight, ingredients, Top 9 allergens, physical address). Confirm if a local market requests home-kitchen wording.
Nutrition Facts Panel Trigger
Required when making any nutrient claim or once annual unit volume/sales cross FDA small-business exemptions.

Frequently Asked Questions: North Carolina Cottage Food Labeling

Can North Carolina Home Processors have pets in the home?

No. Under NCDA&CS home kitchen inspection standards, domestic pets are not allowed inside the home of an inspected home processor.

Can NC Home Processors sell wholesale to grocery stores and coffee shops?

Yes — because NCDA&CS inspects and registers home kitchens, approved non-TCS products can be sold wholesale within North Carolina.

Explore Other State Cottage Food Label Guides

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

All 15 States Hub
CaliforniaCATexasTXFloridaFLNew YorkNYOhioOHMichiganMIIllinoisILPennsylvaniaPAGeorgiaGAWashingtonWAVirginiaVAArizonaAZColoradoCOMassachusettsMA