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Selling homemade food in Pennsylvania means your label has to follow the Pennsylvania Limited Food Establishment (LFE). 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. Accuracy note: the official PA Dept. of Agriculture LFE packet imposes NO “homemade / not inspected” statement. The phrase “This product is homemade and is not prepared in an inspected food establishment” circulates on third-party sites but is not confirmed by the official source and would be contradictory (the LFE program IS registered and inspected). We leave the disclaimer blank rather than invent one. The only confirmed minimum is 8-point for the net weight. Reconfirm against 7 Pa. Code Ch. 46 before use.
Pennsylvania is unusual: its home-based path, the Limited Food Establishment (LFE), is a registered-and-inspected model, not a hands-off exemption. You register with the PA Department of Agriculture, pay a fee, and the Department inspects your home production site before registration is issued and on a routine basis afterward. Because the kitchen is actually inspected, PA labels do NOT carry a 'made in a home kitchen, not inspected' disclaimer that many other states mandate. LFEs are limited to non-hazardous foods needing no refrigeration; specialty categories (honey, maple syrup, kombucha, and canned acid/acidified/fermented foods) have extra requirements, and acidified/canned goods can trigger a separate approved-process review.
Unlike a pure cottage-food state, PA requires an on-site inspection of your home kitchen before you can legally sell. Starting to sell at a market before the LFE registration and inspection are complete is a common and citable mistake.
Canned acid, acidified, and fermented foods/beverages (salsas, pickles, kombucha) carry extra PA requirements and may need an approved scheduled process or pH documentation. Sellers often assume 'shelf-stable' is enough and get flagged at inspection.
An LFE covers direct and internet sales; shipping across state lines can require separate FDA facility registration and compliance with the destination state. Don't assume the PA LFE alone authorizes interstate sales.
Some farmers-market or event sales scenarios require a separate Retail Food Facility License on top of the LFE registration. Confirm with your PDA regional food safety office before committing to a market.
Timeline: Plan for a few weeks, gated by the inspection. Steps: (1) submit the LFE registration application to PDA with the fee, (2) prepare your home kitchen and labels, (3) pass the required on-site inspection, (4) receive your registration, then sell. The limiting factor is scheduling the inspection with your regional food safety office, so start early.
Cost: $35 for initial LFE registration and $35 for annual renewal (per PA Department of Agriculture). Additional cost may apply if a separate Retail Food Facility License is needed for certain market sales — confirm with the PDA Bureau of Food Safety (1-866-366-3723).
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Make my Pennsylvania label →Pennsylvania 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. Pennsylvania 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: Pennsylvania Dept. of Agriculture — Limited Food Establishment Application Packet (Food Protection Act, 3 Pa.C.S.; 7 Pa. Code Ch. 46). Verified 2026-06-15. General information, not legal advice — confirm with your state or local agency before selling.