Last verified 2026-09-12. Regulator: Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection, Division of Food and Recreational Safety. This page is not legal advice.
What must a cottage food label show in Wisconsin?
A Wisconsin cottage food label must show these 6 items:
- Home-canned pickle bill foods: the name and address of the person who prepared and canned the food product
- Home-canned pickle bill foods: the date on which the food product was canned
- Home-canned pickle bill foods: the statement "This product was made in a private home not subject to state licensing or inspection."
- Home-canned pickle bill foods: a list of ingredients in descending order of prominence
- Home-canned pickle bill foods: the common name of any ingredient that originates from milk, eggs, fish, crustacean shellfish, tree nuts, wheat, peanuts, or soybeans
- Home-canned pickle bill foods: a sign displayed at the place of sale stating "These canned goods are homemade and not subject to state inspection."
What disclaimer must a Wisconsin cottage food label have?
Yes. A Wisconsin cottage food label must carry this statement, word for word:
This product was made in a private home not subject to state licensing or inspection.
Does Wisconsin require a Nutrition Facts panel on cottage food?
No. Wisconsin 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 Wisconsin cottage food law?
Two separate tracks. Under the court orders, baked goods made in the home that are not potentially hazardous. DATCP defines baked goods as food exposed to dry heat above 140 degrees Fahrenheit in a closed chamber such as an oven, and counts a waffle maker or Dutch oven. Dehydrated items are not baked goods. Under the pickle bill, pickles or other processed vegetables or fruits canned at home with an equilibrium pH value of 4.6 or lower. Wis. Stat. 97.29(1)(h) also exempts raw honey, maple syrup under the sales limit, and unprocessed fruits or vegetables that are only washed or packaged.
Where can you sell cottage food in Wisconsin?
Baked goods may be sold only direct to consumers. Wholesale requires a license. Pickle bill foods may be sold only at a community or social event or a farmers' market in Wisconsin.
Do you need a permit to sell cottage food in Wisconsin?
No license, no permit, and no inspection for either exemption. DATCP does not register home bakers. Every other home food business needs a food processing plant license under Wis. Stat. 97.29 or a retail food license under Wis. Stat. 97.30.
Is there a sales limit for cottage food in Wisconsin?
Pickle bill sales must stay under $5,000 per year. The home baked goods court orders set no dollar cap.
What else should you know about the Wisconsin rules?
Wisconsin has no cottage food statute. The home baking exemption comes from a court case, Kivirist v. DATCP, Lafayette County Case No. 2016CV06. A Lafayette County order dated December 28, 2022 tried to extend the exemption to all home foods that are not potentially hazardous. The Court of Appeals reversed that order on November 19, 2024, and the Supreme Court denied review. So the exemption again covers baked goods only. Neither DATCP nor the court orders list a required label for home baked goods. The label rules quoted on this page come from the pickle bill and apply only to home-canned acidified foods.
How accurate is this page?
The pickle bill label items, the disclaimer, the sign wording, the “$5,000” limit, and the pH 4.6 rule were read from Wis. Stat. 97.29(2)(b)2 on docs.legis.wisconsin.gov on 2026-09-12. The court order history, the definition of baked goods, and the direct-sale limit were read from the DATCP Home Bakers page and its Homemade Baked Goods flyer the same day. One fact is not confirmed: whether the 2017 Kivirist order itself imposes any label on home baked goods. DATCP lists none.