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Massachusetts Food Labeling Requirements

Massachusetts food labeling requirements for home kitchens come from the Department of Public Health (DPH). A cottage food operation sells only prepackaged products with a label in English that shows: your name and address, the product name, the ingredients by weight with sub-ingredients, the net weight or volume, and the allergens. You need a permit from the board of health in your own city or town first. Selling to stores and restaurants is a separate wholesale license from DPH.

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Massachusetts food labeling requirements: map of the United States with Massachusetts highlighted
Cottage food label

Required on every Massachusetts cottage food label

DPH calls a permitted home kitchen that sells direct to consumers a Retail Residential Kitchen, permitted as a Cottage Food Operation. Its label shows these items, printed in English.

Example Massachusetts cottage food label for cranberry walnut bread with the operation's name and street address, ingredients with sub-ingredients in parentheses, a Contains line and net weight
  1. 1
    Name and address of the operationDPH residential kitchen standards
    The name of your cottage food operation and its address.
  2. 2
    Name of the productDPH residential kitchen standards
    What the food is, like "Cranberry Walnut Bread" or "Concord Grape Jelly".
  3. 3
    Ingredients, with sub-ingredients105 CMR 590.003; FC 3-602
    In descending order of predominance by weight. A bought ingredient lists its own ingredients: not just "soy sauce" but "soy sauce (wheat, soybeans, salt)". No lab analysis is needed for the list.
  4. 4
    Net weight or net volumeDPH residential kitchen standards
    How much is in the package, like "Net Wt 1 lb".
  5. 5
    Allergen informationDPH residential kitchen standards
    As federal labeling requirements specify. Federal law names nine major allergens: milk, eggs, fish, crustacean shellfish, tree nuts, peanuts, wheat, soybeans and sesame.
  6. 6
    Nutrition Facts, only with a claimDPH residential kitchen standards
    Required when the label gives a nutrient content claim, a health claim or other nutrition information.Nutrient Content Claims →
  7. Permit before your first saleLocal permitAnyone making food at home to sell direct to the consumer, at farmers markets, craft fairs, online or by mail, needs a permit from the local board of health. The board inspects and permits your kitchen, so fees and forms vary by town.
Massachusetts at a glance

Retail permit, wholesale license and allowed foods

Direct to consumersBoard of healthA Retail Residential Kitchen permit from your city or town covers farmers markets, craft fairs and internet or mail sales.
Stores and restaurantsDPH licenseSelling wholesale to a shop or restaurant that resells makes you a Wholesale Residential Kitchen, licensed and inspected by the DPH Food Protection Program under 105 CMR 500.
Allowed foodsShelf-stableFoods safe at room temperature, like baked goods, jams and jellies. Milk, cream and eggs may go in, as long as the finished product needs no refrigeration.
Not allowedPickles, saucesCream-filled pastries, cheesecake, custard, cut fruit and vegetables, tomato and barbeque sauce, pickled products, relishes and salad dressings.
Massachusetts honey label requirementsNo permitA cottage food operation, on a farm or off it, that sells only unprocessed honey, pure maple products, whole uncut produce or cold farm fresh eggs needs no board of health permit. State law still governs the label: only pure honey made by honey bees may be branded "honey" or "pure honey", and a mix of honey with anything else can't be sold as "honey" and must list its ingredients.M.G.L. c. 128, § 36BHoney Labeling Requirements (FDA) →
Bake sales need a sign, not a labelFood for a religious or charitable bake sale needs no permit if it is not time/temperature control for safety and a clearly visible placard says it was prepared in a kitchen that is not subject to regulation and inspection.105 CMR 590.001(C); FC 1-201.10(B)
Ready for a commercial kitchen?Products made in a licensed facility follow the federal label rules in full: net quantity in US and metric units, the ingredient list, allergens, name and place of business, and usually a Nutrition Facts panel.FDA Food Labeling Requirements →
Sources

Where this comes from

Questions

Massachusetts label questions

DPH's label list for cottage food has no such statement. The required items are your name and address, the product name, ingredients by weight, net weight or volume and allergen information. A warning sign only comes up for charitable bake sales. Massachusetts Cottage Food Law →

Related pages

LAWMassachusetts Cottage Food LawGUIDEHoney Labeling Requirements (FDA)PRODUCTCustom Honey LabelPRODUCTBaked Goods LabelGUIDEMaple Syrup Label RequirementsTEMPLATECottage Food Label TemplateQUIZDo I Need a Nutrition Label?LABEL MAKERNutrition Label Maker

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