Last verified 2026-09-15. Regulator: Iowa Department of Inspections, Appeals, and Licensing, Food and Consumer Safety Bureau. This page is not legal advice.
What must a cottage food label show in Iowa?
A Iowa cottage food label must show these 6 items:
- Information to identify the name and address, phone number, or electronic mail address of the person preparing the food
- The common name of the food
- The ingredients of the cottage food in descending order of predominance
- The statement: "This product was produced at a residential property that is exempt from state licensing and inspection."
- If the food contains one or more major food allergens, an allergen statement that names each major allergen by its common name
- For home-canned pickles, vegetables, or fruits, the date the food was processed and canned
What disclaimer must a Iowa cottage food label have?
Yes. A Iowa cottage food label must carry this statement, word for word:
This product was produced at a residential property that is exempt from state licensing and inspection.
Does Iowa require a Nutrition Facts panel on cottage food?
No. Iowa 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 Iowa cottage food law?
Any food made at a private residence that is not a time/temperature control for safety food. Home-canned pickles, vegetables, and fruits are allowed if the finished product has a pH of 4.6 or lower or a water activity of 0.85 or lower, each batch is tested with a pH meter or water activity meter, and each container carries the processing date. Milk products under Iowa Code chapters 192 and 194 and meat and poultry products under chapter 189A are not allowed.
Where can you sell cottage food in Iowa?
Direct from the producer to the consumer. Sales may be in person, remotely, by telephone, by internet, or through an agent of the producer. Delivery may be by the producer, by mail, or by an agent such as an employee. Sales at a temporary food establishment are allowed only if the producer operates it. Sales for resale are not allowed.
Do you need a permit to sell cottage food in Iowa?
No license, permit, or inspection required. Producers of home-canned pickles, vegetables, or fruits must show batch and pH or water activity records to the regulator on request, including at the point of sale.
Is there a sales limit for cottage food in Iowa?
No sales cap. Iowa Code section 137F.20 sets no limit on gross sales.
What else should you know about the Iowa rules?
Iowa exempts cottage food from all state licensing, permitting, inspection, packaging, and labeling laws, except the six label items above. The statute says this exemption does not represent compliance with federal law. The Iowa label statement has no type size rule. DIAL lists the major allergens as milk, egg, fish, shellfish, tree nuts, wheat, peanuts, soybeans, and sesame. Foods that need hot or cold holding, and foods sold for resale, need a Home Food Processing Establishment license instead.
How accurate is this page?
The definition, label items, disclaimer, sales channels, and the absence of a sales cap were read from Iowa Code chapter 137F (2026 edition, sections 137F.1 and 137F.20) on 2026-09-15. The allergen list, the temporary food establishment rule, and the record-keeping rule were read from the DIAL Cottage Food Law page the same day. Iowa Admin. Code 481-30 and 481-31 were not read. The Iowa State University Extension guide was not read; the site blocked the request. Local permit rules are not confirmed.