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New Hampshire Cottage Food Label Requirements

New Hampshire cottage food label requirements come from the homestead food law, RSA 143-A:12. Every package shows your operation's name, a physical or e-mail address and phone number, the product name, the ingredients by weight and allergy information. Then one of two statements: "This product is exempt from New Hampshire licensing and inspection." if you sell without a license, or the licensed version if you hold a homestead license.

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New Hampshire cottage food label requirements: map of the United States with New Hampshire highlighted
Homestead food label

Required on every New Hampshire homestead food label

New Hampshire calls home food businesses homestead food operations. These five parts go on each package.

Example New Hampshire homestead food label for maple fudge with the operation's name, address and phone, ingredients, a Contains: milk line and the statement This product is exempt from New Hampshire licensing and inspection
  1. 1
    Name, address and phone numberRSA 143-A:12, V
    The name of your homestead food operation, a physical or e-mail address, and a phone number.
  2. 2
    Product nameRSA 143-A:12, V
    The name of the homestead food product, like "Maple Fudge" or "Blueberry Jam".
  3. 3
    Ingredients by weightRSA 143-A:12, V
    In descending order of predominance by weight. Selling from your home or farm stand? You may put them behind a QR code or website instead, as long as a sign at the display lists them too.
  4. 4
    Allergy informationRSA 143-A:12, V
    Name the major food allergens in the product, for example in a "Contains: milk, wheat, eggs" line.
  5. 5
    The licensing statementRSA 143-A:12, V(c)
    Exempt operations: "This product is exempt from New Hampshire licensing and inspection." Licensed operations: "This product is made in a residential food production area licensed by the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services."
  6. QR code option, home and farm stand onlyShortcutThe QR code or website route for ingredients only works for packages sold from your home or your own farm stand. Everywhere else, from farmers markets to online and mail order sales, the full ingredient list goes on the label itself.
New Hampshire at a glance

License, fee, where to sell and your kitchen

No license neededExemptWhen you sell from your home, your own farm stand, a farmers market or a retail food store.RSA 143-A:12, II
Homestead license$150The Class H homestead license fee. Needed to sell to restaurants or other food establishments, over the internet, by mail order or to wholesalers and distributors.NH DHHS; RSA 143-A:12, III
Allowed foodsNo refrigerationNon-potentially hazardous foods only, like breads, cookies, double crust fruit pies, candy, fudge, pickles, jams and jellies.
Your kitchenPrimary residenceThe home kitchen of your primary residence in New Hampshire, or a food production area there with handwashing, clean surfaces and pet exclusion.RSA 143-A:12, I
Freeze dried foods need a licenseWatch outMaking and selling freeze dried fruits, vegetables or commercially prepared dairy products takes a license under RSA 143-A:4, even when you sell from home, a farm stand, a farmers market or a store.RSA 143-A:12, IV
Pickles and jams: use a tested recipeAcidified foods and jams or jellies that don't follow the standardized recipes of the National Center for Home Food Preservation need a process review for each product. Some towns inspect on their own, so check locally too.Pickle Label Design →
Growing into wholesale or online?Then you need the homestead license, and the label switches to the licensed statement. Selling across state lines also brings the federal label rules: net quantity in two units and often a Nutrition Facts panel.Nutrition Facts Label Requirements →
Sources

Where this comes from

Questions

New Hampshire label questions

No, as long as you sell from your home, your own farm stand, a farmers market or a retail food store. You need the homestead license to sell to restaurants, online, by mail order or to distributors. Cottage Food Law →

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