Last verified 2026-09-15. Regulator: Kansas Department of Agriculture, Food Safety and Lodging Program. This page is not legal advice.
What must a cottage food label show in Kansas?
A Kansas cottage food label must show these 4 items:
- Common name of the product
- Name and physical address of the person who made or is selling the product
- Product ingredients in descending order by weight, with the nine common food allergens named in plain language, for example "casein (milk)"
- Quantity as net weight, volume, or count, depending on the product
What disclaimer must a Kansas cottage food label have?
Kansas does not set exact disclaimer wording in the sources we have. Check the sources below.
Does Kansas require a Nutrition Facts panel on cottage food?
Only in some cases. Kansas requires a Nutrition Facts panel when the label makes a nutrient or health claim, such as "low sugar" or "high protein". 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 Kansas cottage food law?
Baked goods that do not need refrigeration (cookies, breads, cakes, cinnamon rolls, fruit pies), chocolate-dipped items, cookie and pizza dough, dry baking mixes, dry seasoned snacks, home-ground flour and popcorn, icing with more than 65% sugar by weight, fruit jams and jellies, high-acid canned fruit and pie filling, and other shelf-stable foods that do not need a specialized process. Cheesecake, cream-filled pastries, custards, pumpkin pie, pickles, and other acidified or refrigerated foods need a KDA license.
Where can you sell cottage food in Kansas?
Direct to the end consumer only, including farmers markets, festivals, craft shows, online orders shipped to the customer, and producer delivery. Sales to a restaurant, grocery store, craft mall, or any other business for resale need a KDA food processing license. Consignment sales are not exempt.
Do you need a permit to sell cottage food in Kansas?
No KDA license, registration, or inspection for exempt foods sold direct to consumer. The producer must follow the sanitation and hygiene rules for exempt food establishments in K.A.R. 4-28-33 and hold a Kansas retail sales tax certificate.
What else should you know about the Kansas rules?
Kansas has no cottage food statute. The Kansas Food Law covers home producers through a licensing exemption for direct-to-consumer sales. Kansas does not require a “homemade” or “not inspected” statement on the label, but you may add one. Labels with health, nutrient, or structure claims must follow FDA label claim rules. Free samples are allowed at any number of events, and any food legal to sell can be sampled. Some foods, such as pecan pie, meringue cookies, and breads with cheese or jalapenos, need a water activity or pH test to decide whether a license is needed. Check with your market; market rules can be stricter than the state rules.
How accurate is this page?
The label items, allowed foods, sales channels, and sampling rules were read from the K-State Research and Extension guide MF3138, “Foods Sold Directly to Consumers in Kansas”, revised January 2026, on 2026-09-15. The definitions of “food establishment” and “food processing plant” were read from K.S.A. 65-656 the same day. The KDA website blocked curl, so the agency page was not read. The exact statute section that creates the licensing exemption is not confirmed; K.S.A. 65-688 was read and covers license fees only. No sales cap appears in any source read, so none is listed.