Last verified 2026-09-15. Regulator: Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services, Department for Public Health, Food Safety Branch. This page is not legal advice.
What must a cottage food label show in Kentucky?
A Kentucky cottage food label must show these 7 items:
- The name and address of the home-based processing operation
- The common or usual name of the food product
- The ingredients of the food product, in descending order of predominance by weight
- The net weight and volume of the food product by standard measure, or numerical count
- The following statement in ten (10) point type: "This product is home-produced and processed"
- The date the product was processed
- Allergen information as specified by federal law (21 U.S.C. 343(w)), required by 902 KAR 45:090
What disclaimer must a Kentucky cottage food label have?
Yes. A Kentucky cottage food label must carry this statement, word for word:
This product is home-produced and processed
Does Kentucky require a Nutrition Facts panel on cottage food?
No. Kentucky 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 Kentucky cottage food law?
The foods listed in KRS 217.015(56), plus dried or freeze-dried whole fruits or vegetables, candy made without added alcohol and with no bare-hand contact, maple syrup, pecan pies, granola, trail or snack mix, and plain or seasoned popcorn. Not allowed: acid foods, acidified foods, formulated acid foods, low-acid canned foods, creme-filled pies, custard, custard pies, meringue-topped pies, cheesecake, cream or custard or meringue pastries, raw seed sprouts, garlic-in-oil products, and pureed baby foods.
Where can you sell cottage food in Kentucky?
Direct to consumers within Kentucky only: from the processor's home by pick-up or delivery, at a market, roadside stand, or community event, or online. The rule names flea markets, farmers markets, festivals, county fairs, craft fairs, and non-profit charity events. Orders and payments may be taken in person, electronically, by internet, or by phone. No wholesale.
Do you need a permit to sell cottage food in Kentucky?
Register with the Food Safety Branch on form DFS-250 with a $50 fee. The registration expires March 31 each year and renews for $50. The processor must be a Kentucky resident. The cabinet may inspect the facility once a year and on complaint.
Is there a sales limit for cottage food in Kentucky?
No sales cap appears in KRS 217.136 or 902 KAR 45:090.
What else should you know about the Kentucky rules?
Kentucky calls its cottage food producers home-based processors. The label must carry the exact statement quoted above in 10-point type and the date the product was processed. Glass jars of jams, jellies, preserves, and fruit butter need rigid metal lids. A processor may sell online, but only to consumers inside Kentucky. A separate home-based microprocessor program covers farmers who can, pickle, or make low-acid foods from their own crops; it needs a training course and label review. The 2026 amendment also lets home-based processors make pork lard or tallow-based cosmetics under the same label rules.
How accurate is this page?
The label items, the statement, the sales channels, and the food limits were read from KRS 217.136 (effective July 15, 2026) and 902 KAR 45:090 on 2026-09-15. The registration fee and renewal date came from the rule. The base food list in KRS 217.015(56) was not read, so the allowed foods entry names only the additions in the rule. The Food Safety Branch home-based processor page returned a 404 and was not read. No University of Kentucky extension guide was read. The statute number given for this page, KRS 217.066, does not exist; the home-based processor law is KRS 217.136.