Idaho Cottage Food Label Requirements
Idaho cottage food label requirements now come from the Idaho Direct-to-Consumer Commerce Act, and they are short. Every homemade food or drink you sell comes with the notice "This product is not subject to government food safety inspection or licensing requirements. It may contain allergens.", your name and contact information, and a list of ingredients when there are two or more. Perishable foods add handling instructions. You can put it all on a label, a sign or a card, and you need no license to sell inside Idaho.
Required with every Idaho homemade food sale
The Act asks for three things on every sale, plus a fourth for perishable food. A label on each package means the information travels with the food.
- 1The notice, word for wordIdaho Code 37-205(3)(b)(i)"This product is not subject to government food safety inspection or licensing requirements. It may contain allergens."
- 2Your name and contact informationIdaho Code 37-205(3)(b)(ii)Who made the food and how to reach them, like a phone number, email or website. The Act does not ask for a street address.
- 3IngredientsIdaho Code 37-205(3)(b)(iii)Required once a product has two or more ingredients. The Act doesn't fix the order; listing the heaviest first matches the federal style buyers know.
- 4Handling instructions, for perishable foodIdaho Code 37-205(4)(b)Foods kept at 41°F or below or 135°F or above, like pickled products, sauces, raw doughs or cooked vegetables, need instructions on safe storage and preparation.
- A sign or a card also countsIdaho ruleSelling loose cookies from a farm stand? A clearly displayed sign, or a card you hand each buyer, can carry the notice, your contact details and the ingredients instead of a label on every item.
License, sales cap, records and where you sell
Where this comes from
- Idaho Department of Health and Welfare: Food SafetyOfficial state page: the required notice, the Act replaces the cottage food rule
- Senate Bill 1283: Idaho Direct-to-Consumer Commerce ActThe law itself (Idaho Code 37-201 to 37-208): notice, label items, records
- Idaho Legislature: Senate Bill 1283 statusPassed without amendment and signed into law
Idaho label questions
Word for word: "This product is not subject to government food safety inspection or licensing requirements. It may contain allergens." It goes on a label, a clearly displayed sign, or a card given to the buyer. Idaho Cottage Food Law →
Check them. The Direct-to-Consumer Commerce Act replaced the old cottage food rule, so compare your label with the new notice word for word and add your contact details and ingredients if they are missing.
No. The Act asks for your name and contact information. A phone number, email or website does the job.
The notice already says "It may contain allergens." Naming them in a Contains line is not required by the Act, but buyers with allergies will thank you. Our label maker flags the 9 major allergens from your recipe. Start a label →
The Act does not ask for one. Federal rules call for one when a label makes a nutrient claim like "low sugar", and usually once you sell beyond direct sales in Idaho.
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