The exact rules depend on where you live — cottage food laws vary by province, state and sometimes city. But nearly everywhere wants the same seven things.
- Product name. What the food is, plainly. "Sourdough Loaf," not just your brand name.
- Ingredients, heaviest first. By weight, most to least. Not the order you added them. If you use chocolate chips, list their ingredients in brackets too — read the back of the bag.
- Allergen statement. The one that actually matters. A clear line saying what it contains: CONTAINS: Wheat, Milk, Eggs, Soy. If your kitchen also handles other allergens, say "may contain." That line is honest information, not protection from careless practice.
- Net quantity. Weight or count. "450 g" or "12 cookies."
- Best before date. A real one, based on testing how your product keeps.
- Your business name and contact. So the product can be traced back to a real person. If you do not want your home address on a box, ask your health authority what they accept instead.
- The home-prepared food notice. Most regions require a specific sentence saying this was made in an uninspected home kitchen. The wording is usually prescribed, so get it from your own authority — this is the one field you cannot copy from someone else.
Then phone your local health authority and ask: can I sell this from home, what is excluded, what must the label say, do I need a permit, and where am I allowed to sell? Write down who you spoke to and when.