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TN Cottage Food Label Requirements

TN cottage food label requirements come from the Tennessee Food Freedom Act: your name, home address and phone number, the common name of the food, the ingredients from most to least, and a two-sentence statement about home production and allergens. No permit, no inspection, no sales cap. Shelf-stable foods can even go on a grocery store shelf in Tennessee.

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TN cottage food label requirements: map of the United States with Tennessee highlighted
Cottage food label

Required on every Tennessee homemade food label

Tennessee Code section 53-1-118 lists four items. They go on the label of anything packaged.

Example Tennessee cottage food label for chess pie with the maker's name, home address and phone number, the ingredients and the two-sentence private residence and allergen statement
  1. 1
    Name, home address and phoneT.C.A. 53-1-118(b)(4)(A)
    All three, for the person who made the food. Tennessee has no registration number to use instead, so the home address is on there.
  2. 2
    The common or usual nameT.C.A. 53-1-118(b)(4)(B)
    What the food is, like "Chess pie", "Sorghum cookies" or "Pepper jelly".
  3. 3
    Ingredients, most to leastT.C.A. 53-1-118(b)(4)(C)
    Every ingredient in descending order of predominance. Listing allergens by name in the ingredients helps buyers, since the statement only says the food may contain them.
  4. 4
    The two-sentence statementT.C.A. 53-1-118(b)(4)(D)
    Word for word: This product was produced at a private residence that is exempt from state licensing and inspection. This product may contain allergens.
  5. Not packaged? The info still has to be shownWhere it goesBulk containers get a label on the container. Unpackaged items get a placard at the point of sale. Online-only sales show it on the web page. Phone and custom orders: tell the buyer it's made in a private residence, exempt from state licensing and inspection, and may contain allergens, and share the rest on request.
Tennessee at a glance

Permits, sales limits and where you can sell

Sales limitNo capThe Tennessee Food Freedom Act sets no dollar limit on homemade food sales.
Permit or registrationNoneThe Tennessee Department of Agriculture doesn't issue permits or licenses or inspect homemade food made under the Act.
Shelf-stable foodsStores OKSell in person, by phone or online, or through a retail shop or grocery store. Deliver yourself, through an agent or by a carrier, inside Tennessee.
Nutrition FactsNot requiredTennessee doesn't ask for one under the Act. A nutrient claim on the package or a sale outside the state brings in federal rules.
Refrigerated foods: in person onlyExtra ruleFoods that need time or temperature control, like cheesecake or cream pie, may only be sold in person by you or your agent, for example at a farm stand on your property. No raw milk, alcohol, fish, shellfish or meat. Poultry only under the federal exemptions the law names.T.C.A. 53-1-118(b)(3)
Tennessee honey label requirementsSpecial ruleState rules set what may be called "honey": nothing added, no added water. Honey with a flavoring or spice must say so in its name. A floral name like "Clover honey" needs honey mostly from that source, a place name needs honey made only there, and comb styles are labeled "Comb Honey", "Cut Comb in Honey", "Honey with Comb" or "Chunk Honey".Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. 0080-04-12Honey Labeling Requirements (FDA) →
Selling outside Tennessee?The Food Freedom Act covers sales within Tennessee only. Ship across state lines and federal rules apply: net quantity, allergens and usually a Nutrition Facts label.Nutrition Facts Label Requirements →
Sources

Where this comes from

Questions

Tennessee label questions

No. Under the Tennessee Food Freedom Act, homemade food is exempt from state licensing, permits and inspection. The Department of Health can still investigate a reported foodborne illness, and sales tax still applies. Tennessee Cottage Food Law →

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