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Cottage Food Label Requirements in Missouri (2026)

Selling homemade food in Missouri means your label has to follow the Missouri Cottage Law — Mo. Rev. Stat. § 196.298, as repealed and re-enacted by HB 1697, effective 28 August 2022. No permit, no licence, no registration, no fee, no inspection and no training: a cottage food production operation « is not a food service establishment », and a local health department « shall not regulate the production of food » at one. The exemption is narrow by food, not by money — only baked goods, canned jam or jelly, and dried herb or herb mixes — and since 2022 there is no income cap at all. Internet sales are allowed provided both the operation and the purchaser are located in Missouri. Sales must be direct to the consumer. Here is exactly what that label must show in 2026 — the required fields, the allergen rule, and the verbatim disclaimer and its font size — sourced to the statute and dated.

In brief — Missouri

Required disclaimer: “NOT verbatim — confirm with agency. § 196.298.4 does not fix an exact mandated string; it requires "a statement that the food is not inspected by the department or local health department." The required substance is that the food was not inspected by the department (the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services) or the local health department. A compliant example (not a mandated string): "This product is not inspected by the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services or the local health department."”
Minimum font size: Not specified by the state
Permit number on label: No
Program: Missouri Cottage Law — Mo. Rev. Stat. § 196.298, as repealed and re-enacted by HB 1697, effective 28 August 2022. No permit, no licence, no registration, no fee, no inspection and no training: a cottage food production operation « is not a food service establishment », and a local health department « shall not regulate the production of food » at one. The exemption is narrow by food, not by money — only baked goods, canned jam or jelly, and dried herb or herb mixes — and since 2022 there is no income cap at all. Internet sales are allowed provided both the operation and the purchaser are located in Missouri. Sales must be direct to the consumer.
Last verified: 2026-08-10

What must be on a Missouri cottage food label

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
The state's required disclaimer (see below)

The disclaimer Missouri requires

Print this statement on the label, word for word:

“NOT verbatim — confirm with agency. § 196.298.4 does not fix an exact mandated string; it requires "a statement that the food is not inspected by the department or local health department." The required substance is that the food was not inspected by the department (the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services) or the local health department. A compliant example (not a mandated string): "This product is not inspected by the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services or the local health department."”

No minimum type size exists anywhere: the whole rule is that the label be « legible to the consumer », so no point value is claimed. Missouri prescribes CONTENT, not wording — § 196.298.4 asks for « a statement that the food is not inspected by the department or local health department », so no sentence is legally verbatim; the one shown is the formula published by DHSS, which is what your local public health agency reads. Heads-up on the split: the STATUTE names only your name, your address and that statement. The other four items — common name, ingredients in descending order of weight, net weight, allergens — come from the DHSS guidance, which says of itself that it binds no one. Print all six. There is no permit number to print. Second heads-up, and it costs sales: guides still quoting a $50,000 annual income cap are describing a paragraph HB 1697 struck.

What's specific about selling cottage food in Missouri

Missouri is a true no-permit, no-registration cottage food state: § 196.298 exempts qualifying home operations from being treated as food establishments and from any inspection/license requirement, so there is no permit number to put on the label. Verbatim from § 196.298.4, the label must carry only the operation's name and address plus "a statement that the food is not inspected by the department or local health department" — the statute fixes NEITHER exact disclaimer words NOR a font size. Missouri labels are therefore flexible on wording but strict on substance: the not-inspected statement must be present and unambiguous.

Common mistakes cottage food sellers make in Missouri

Do not fabricate a verbatim disclaimer or font size

Unlike California ("Made in a Home Kitchen") or Texas, Missouri prescribes no exact disclaimer string and no minimum point size. § 196.298.4 requires only a statement that the food is not inspected by the department or local health department. Printing an official-looking fixed phrase in a mandated size implies a rule that does not exist.

Reference the correct authority — not the Department of Agriculture

The statutory words are "the department or local health department," where "the department" is the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services (DHSS). Naming DHSS (or the local health department) is a safe, clear way to satisfy the requirement; referencing the Department of Agriculture instead would be wrong. The statute does not, however, strictly require spelling out "Department of Health and Senior Services" — a statement referencing the department satisfies the substance.

Federal allergen labeling still applies

§ 196.298 exempts the operation from state inspection, not from federal FALCPA allergen disclosure. Products containing milk, eggs, wheat, soy, peanuts, tree nuts, fish, shellfish (and sesame) should declare those allergens; the state exemption does not waive this.

Detailed label elements live in DHSS rules, not just the statute

§ 196.298.4 delegates the operative labeling rules to DHSS. Additional elements common to such rules (common/usual product name, ingredients, net quantity) may be required by the promulgated rule even though the statute lists only name/address plus the disclaimer. The DHSS page was not machine-readable at research time (HTTP 403); confirm the current DHSS rule/guidance before finalizing a label.

How long it takes and what it costs in Missouri

Timeline: Immediate — no application, permit, inspection, or waiting period. A qualifying home operation may sell as soon as a compliant label (name, address, not-inspected statement) is affixed.

Cost: $0 — no permit required; Missouri issues no license or fee for a cottage food production operation under § 196.298.

Missouri changes its rules — we'll tell you

Cottage food laws get revised, and a new disclaimer or font size can quietly make your label non-compliant. Leave your email and we'll write to you only when Missouri's cottage food label rules change. Nothing else, ever — and you can unsubscribe from any message.

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Missouri cottage food labels — FAQ

Does Missouri require a “made in a home kitchen” disclaimer?

Missouri requires this exact statement on a cottage food label: “NOT verbatim — confirm with agency. § 196.298.4 does not fix an exact mandated string; it requires "a statement that the food is not inspected by the department or local health department." The required substance is that the food was not inspected by the department (the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services) or the local health department. A compliant example (not a mandated string): "This product is not inspected by the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services or the local health department.".” The state sets no minimum point size for it.

Do I have to print my permit number on the label in Missouri?

No. Missouri does not require a permit or registration number printed on the label.

What has to be on a Missouri cottage food 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; the state's required disclaimer (see below).

Is this legal advice?

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: Mo. Rev. Stat. § 196.298 (Missouri Revisor of Statutes; history « L. 2014 S.B. 525, A.L. 2022 H.B. 1697 »), cross-checked against the National Agricultural Law Center reprint. The struck income cap read in the truly-agreed HB 1697 (3826H.01T). Label items, excluded foods and the removal of the cap: Missouri DHSS, « Missouri Home-Based Kitchen Food Production Guidance », August 2023. Verified 2026-08-10. General information, not legal advice — confirm with your state or local agency before selling.