Last verified 2026-09-15. Regulator: Arkansas Department of Health, Environmental Health. This page is not legal advice.
What must a cottage food label show in Arkansas?
A Arkansas cottage food label must show these 5 items:
- The date the product was manufactured, produced, or processed
- The name, address, and telephone number of the producer, or an identification number from the Department of Agriculture if the producer asks for one to protect their safety
- The common or usual name of the product
- The ingredients of the product in descending order of predominance
- The statement: "This product was produced in a private residence that is exempt from state licensing and inspection. This product may contain allergens."
What disclaimer must a Arkansas cottage food label have?
Yes. A Arkansas cottage food label must carry this statement, word for word:
This product was produced in a private residence that is exempt from state licensing and inspection. This product may contain allergens.
Does Arkansas require a Nutrition Facts panel on cottage food?
No. Arkansas does not require a Nutrition Facts panel on cottage food. Federal rules also exempt most small producers, unless the label makes a nutrient or health claim. If you want to add one, the Nutrition Label Maker prints it in the FDA layout for free.
What foods can you sell under the Arkansas cottage food law?
Homemade food or drink products made at the producer's private residence that do not need time or temperature control for safety. Pickled cucumbers and other acidified vegetables are allowed if the finished product has an equilibrium pH of 4.6 or less and the producer keeps batch records. Meat, poultry, seafood, and time/temperature control for safety foods are not allowed.
Where can you sell cottage food in Arkansas?
Direct to an informed end consumer in person, by telephone, or online. The seller may be the producer, an agent of the producer, or a third-party vendor such as a retail shop or grocery store. Delivery may be by the producer, an agent, a third-party vendor, or a third-party carrier. Sales may occur in Arkansas or in another state if the seller follows federal law. Products may not be sold or used in a food service establishment, except from a retail space at the producer's home or farm or at a third-party vendor's retail location.
Do you need a permit to sell cottage food in Arkansas?
No license, certification, permit, or inspection required. The producer may ask the Department of Agriculture for an identification number to use on the label in place of a home address.
Is there a sales limit for cottage food in Arkansas?
No sales cap appears in the Food Freedom Act.
What else should you know about the Arkansas rules?
The five disclosure items go on a label on the package. For bulk containers, they go on the container and on a separate written document handed to the buyer. For unpackaged products, they go on a placard at the point of sale. For online sales, they go on the website where the product is offered. A seller who shares retail space with a licensed food business must keep homemade products separate from the licensed products. The older cottage food operation rules at section 20-57-201 still exist and require the statement “This Product is Home-Produced” in 10-point type and no nutritional claims. Local governments may not ban or regulate homemade food sales.
How accurate is this page?
The label items, the disclaimer, the allowed foods, the sales channels, and the absence of a sales cap were read from Act 1040 of 2021 on the Arkansas legislature site on 2026-09-15. The Arkansas Department of Health cottage food page returned a 403 error, and the University of Arkansas Extension guide was not found, so neither was read. Any Department of Health rule that adds to the statute is not confirmed.