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Wisconsin Food Labeling Requirements

Wisconsin food labeling requirements start with five basics on every packaged food: the product name, the ingredients by weight, the net weight or volume, the name and address of whoever made or packed it, and nutrition information unless the food is exempt. Home canners selling under the "Pickle Bill" add a required statement, and home bakers can sell shelf-stable baked goods straight to customers without a license.

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Wisconsin food labeling requirements: map of the United States with Wisconsin highlighted
Packaged food label

Required on every packaged food label in Wisconsin

DATCP, the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection, lists these five parts.

Example Wisconsin home-canned dill pickle label with the canner's name and address, canning date, ingredient list and the private home statement
  1. 1
    Product name
    The name of the food, like "Kringle" or "Dill Pickle Spears".
  2. 2
    Ingredients by weight
    Every ingredient in decreasing order of predominance by weight. Name any of the 9 major allergens by their common name.
  3. 3
    Net weight or volume
    How much is inside, like "NET WT 12 oz (340 g)" or "16 fl oz".
  4. 4
    Name and address
    The name, address and ZIP code of the manufacturer, packer or distributor.
  5. 5
    Nutrition information21 CFR 101.9(j)
    A Nutrition Facts panel, unless the food is exempt. Many small businesses qualify for the federal small business exemption, as long as the label makes no nutrition or health claims.
  6. Home-canned foods need two statementsPickle BillOn every jar: "This product was made in a private home not subject to state licensing or inspection." plus your name and address, the canning date and all ingredients. At your table, a sign: "These canned goods are homemade and not subject to state inspection."
Wisconsin at a glance

Home bakers, home canners and licenses

Home-baked goodsNo licenseCourt orders bar license enforcement for shelf-stable baked goods made at home and sold directly to consumers. Wholesale needs a license.
Pickle Bill sales cap$5,000 a yearPer person, for home-canned fruits and vegetables with a pH of 4.6 or lower.
Pickle Bill salesMarkets and eventsOnly direct to consumers at community or social events, flea markets or farmers markets in Wisconsin. Not online, from home, wholesale or out of state.
Other homemade foodsLicense neededThe court ruling that covered all shelf-stable homemade foods was reversed on appeal. Candy, dried foods and the like still need a license.
Honey label requirements in WisconsinGrade lineNo DATCP license if you sell only honey from your own bees, just strained, heated or creamed. The label follows the general rules above, plus "Ungraded" if you don't grade it. Graded honey shows the grade, and Wisconsin No. 1 also shows the color. You may name one flavor or floral source, never the season.Custom Honey Label →
What counts as a baked good?Food baked with dry heat above 140°F in a closed chamber like an oven. Some waffle maker and Dutch oven items count. Anything dried in a dehydrator does not, and the finished product must not need refrigeration.Baked Goods Label →
Sources

Where this comes from

Questions

Wisconsin label questions

Not a written one for baked goods. Home bakers sell under court orders that stop DATCP from requiring a license for shelf-stable baked goods sold directly to consumers. Home-canned acidic foods have their own law, the Pickle Bill. Wisconsin Cottage Food Law →

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