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Selling homemade food in Vermont means your label has to follow the Vermont license-exempt home food manufacturing exemption (incl. Act 42, 2025 Cottage Food Operator category); Department of Health Food & Lodging Program; labeling under the Manufactured Food Rule (Rule for Food Manufacturing Establishments) § 6.2.1; statutory basis 18 V.S.A. Chapter 85 (§ 4351 et seq.). 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.
Print this statement on the label, word for word:
Verbatim wording is mandated by Manufactured Food Rule § 6.2.1.1.7 (verified against the adopted rule text). It must be printed in at least 10-point type in a color that provides a clear contrast to the background of the label. It references the Department of HEALTH (not the Agency of Agriculture) and uses 'not inspected' — do not paraphrase. No permit or ID number is issued to license-exempt operators, so none appears on the label.
Vermont's home-food disclaimer lives in Title 18 (Health), NOT the Title 6 agriculture chapter people expect, and it is enforced by the Department of Health — so any template or third-party guide that names the Agency of Agriculture or the word 'licensed'/'regulated' is wrong here; the only compliant words are 'Made in a home kitchen not inspected by the Vermont Department of Health.' The exemption is tiered by category under the Manufactured Food Rule and Act 42 (2025): a Cottage Food Operator is exempt up to $30,000/yr of non-potentially-hazardous foods (baked goods, candy, jams, dried herbs, nuts, vinegar, popcorn, pH/water-activity-compliant pickles), and a Food Processor exemption caps at $10,000/yr — but every license-exempt category carries the IDENTICAL label rule (§ 6.2.1.1). 'License exempt' means exempt from the licensing FEE, not from labeling. (Older pre-Act-42 bakery thresholds you may find online, e.g. a ~$6,500 home-bakery figure, are superseded/unverified — confirm the current tier with the Department before relying on it.)
The mandated words are exactly 'Made in a home kitchen not inspected by the Vermont Department of Health.' It references the Department of HEALTH, not the Agency of Agriculture. Swapping in 'not licensed,' 'not regulated,' or 'Agency of Agriculture' fails § 6.2.1.1.7. It is verbatim — do not paraphrase.
§ 6.2.1.1.7 sets 10-point type as a hard minimum, AND requires a color that clearly contrasts with the label background. Cramming the statement into a tiny footer or printing light-gray-on-white voids compliance even if the words are right.
The rule (§ 6.2.1.1.1) requires the 'name and address of the operation.' There is NO state permit/ID number for license-exempt operators, so guides that tell you to print a 'state ID number' in place of an address are wrong. Use a real physical operation address (a P.O. box alone will not support recall traceability the Department relies on).
Even with no license fee, an exempt establishment must submit an annual license-exemption filing (before January 15 via the online portal) AND complete/attest the required food-safety training before starting and annually thereafter (§ 6.2.2). It is free but not optional — skipping it can forfeit the exemption.
Timeline: Immediate — no pre-market approval or inspection. Label products per § 6.2.1.1, complete the required training, and submit the free annual license-exemption filing online (due before January 15) to the Vermont Department of Health at/before the start of selling.
Cost: $0 — no permit or license fee for qualifying license-exempt operators; the annual license-exemption filing is free. A full Home Bakery/manufacturing license (only if you exceed the exemption threshold) carries a separate state fee.
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Make my Vermont label →Vermont requires this exact statement on a cottage food label: “Made in a home kitchen not inspected by the Vermont Department of Health.” It must be set at a minimum of 10-point type.
No. Vermont 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; the state's required disclaimer at a minimum of 10-point type (see below).
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: https://www.healthvermont.gov/sites/default/files/document/reg-manufactured-food.pdf (Manufactured Food Rule § 6.2.1.1, quoted verbatim); https://www.healthvermont.gov/environment/food-lodging-program/home-based-food-licenses-and-exemptions ; https://legislature.vermont.gov/statutes/section/18/085/04351 (18 V.S.A. Chapter 85) Verified 2026-08-10. General information, not legal advice — confirm with your state or local agency before selling.