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Selling homemade food in Maine means your label has to follow the Home Food Processor / Home Food Manufacturer License — Maine Dept. of Agriculture, Conservation & Forestry (DACF), Division of Quality Assurance & Regulations; food-licensing authority under Title 22 M.R.S. (Chapter 411, incl. general food-labeling standards). Separate municipal option under the Maine Food Sovereignty Act, 7 M.R.S. §§281–284, for direct producer-to-consumer sales in towns that have adopted a food-sovereignty ordinance. Here is exactly what that label must show in 2026 — the required fields, the allergen rule, and why no “home kitchen” disclaimer applies — sourced to the statute and dated.
No. Maine's statewide Home Food Processor license does NOT prescribe any 'made in a home kitchen' / 'not inspected' consumer disclaimer (confirmed against UMaine Extension Bulletin #3101e), and neither DACF nor UMaine Extension fixes a state-specific minimum font size. Labels follow FDA general labeling rules (statement of identity in bold/prominent type on the principal display panel; other required text generally not smaller than 1/16 inch, ~4.5 pt) — this is FDA guidance, NOT a Maine mandate. Do not fabricate a home-kitchen disclaimer and do not put a license number on the label (none is required). If selling instead under a municipal Food Sovereignty ordinance (7 M.R.S. §§281–284), labeling is governed by that local ordinance — confirm requirements with the town office; several ordinances require the producer's name and that the transaction be direct producer-to-consumer.
Maine is a LICENSE state, not a pure cottage-food exemption: shelf-stable homemade foods need a DACF Home Food Processor License, and the label simply follows standard FDA elements — there is NO Maine-mandated 'home kitchen' disclaimer and no license number goes on the label. The one Maine-specific fork is the Food Sovereignty Act: in towns that adopted a food-sovereignty ordinance, direct producer-to-consumer sales can skip the state license, but then labeling is dictated by the local ordinance rather than DACF.
Unlike California or Texas, Maine prescribes no verbatim 'Made in a Home Kitchen' / 'not subject to inspection' statement for licensed home food processors (confirmed against UMaine Extension Bulletin #3101e). Adding one is unnecessary and could misstate your regulatory status. Include only the FDA-standard elements.
The DACF Home Food Processor License is statewide and covers shelf-stable/non-perishable foods sold anywhere in Maine. A municipal Food Sovereignty ordinance (7 M.R.S. §§281–284) only covers direct producer-to-consumer sales inside that town, and each ordinance sets its own labeling terms. Confirm which regime you're in before printing labels.
The home food processor license is for non-perishable, shelf-stable products (baked goods, jams, candies, dry mixes). Acidified/canned foods, refrigerated items, and meat/poultry trigger additional DACF requirements or federal inspection — verify eligibility before labeling.
Maine fixes no font size, so people assume anything goes. FDA's general rules still govern: statement of identity in bold prominent type on the principal display panel and other mandatory text generally no smaller than 1/16 inch (~4.5 pt). Undersized ingredient/allergen text is a common failure.
Timeline: License-dependent: DACF home food processor license applications are typically processed within a few weeks of a complete application (often with a home kitchen inspection). Food-sovereignty path can be immediate once the town's ordinance is confirmed. Confirm current turnaround with DACF (207-287-3841).
Cost: DACF food license fees are modest (roughly $20–$50/year depending on license class; not independently re-verified on the live DACF site — confirm the current fee schedule with DACF). Food-sovereignty ordinance sales generally carry no state fee. Confirm exact fee with Maine DACF Quality Assurance & Regulations.
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Make my Maine label →Maine does not require a “made in a home kitchen” disclaimer. Your label still has to meet the standard federal FDA labeling rules (product name, ingredients by weight, allergens, net weight, and your name and address).
No. Maine does not require a permit or registration number printed on the label.
At minimum: product name — the common name of the food; your business / producer name; the address of the cottage food operation; a complete ingredient list, in descending order by weight (sub-ingredients included); an allergen declaration — the 9 major FDA allergens, in the ingredient list or a “Contains:” line; net weight, in US customary and metric units.
No. CottageCompliance gives general information based on each state's published rules, dated to when we last verified them. Always confirm with your state or local agency before selling.
Source: UMaine Cooperative Extension Bulletin #3101e 'Guidelines for Home-Based Food Processors' (https://extension.umaine.edu/publications/3101e/) — primary, directly verified; Maine DACF Quality Assurance & Regulations (maine.gov/dacf — note the former /php/quality_assurance/ path now 404s; locate the current Quality Assurance page from the DACF index); Maine Food Sovereignty Act, 7 M.R.S. §§281–285 (legislature.maine.gov/statutes/7/) Verified 2026-08-10. General information, not legal advice — confirm with your state or local agency before selling.