Maine Cottage Food Labeling Requirements: Allergens, Net Weight, and Disclosure

Every product sold under Maine's Home Food Processor License needs a label. There is no state template — you design and print your own — but the required elements are specific, and the DACF inspector will review your label proofs during the kitchen inspection. Getting the label right before you print a batch of 500 stickers saves both money and inspection delays.

Required Label Elements

Maine requires the following on every pre-packaged home food product:

Product name — The common or descriptive name of the food. "Blueberry Jam," "Maple Walnut Granola," "Sourdough Bread." It needs to accurately describe what is inside the package.

Net weight or volume — Must appear on the front of the package in both U.S. customary and metric units (e.g., "Net Wt. 8 oz (227g)"). Weigh the product without the container, lid, or packaging material.

Complete ingredient list — Listed in descending order by weight. If your blueberry jam is sugar, blueberries, pectin, and lemon juice, list them in that order. Sub-ingredients in compound items must be listed individually (e.g., if you use a pre-made spice blend, list each spice rather than "spice blend").

Your name and home address — Your legal name or business name plus the physical address where the food is produced. A P.O. Box does not satisfy this requirement.

Home kitchen disclosure statement — "This product was produced in a home kitchen that is not inspected by the State of Maine." This exact language is specific to the Home Food Processor License. If you operate under a Food Sovereignty Ordinance for direct home sales, your local ordinance may have different disclosure requirements or none at all.

Major allergen declarations — The nine federally recognized major allergens must be declared if present: wheat, eggs, milk, tree nuts (specify which — almonds, walnuts, cashews, etc.), peanuts, soybeans, fish (specify species), shellfish (specify species), and sesame.

Allergen Labeling Details

Allergen declarations can appear in two ways:

1. Within the ingredient list — using parenthetical identification: "flour (wheat), butter (milk)"
2. As a separate "Contains" statement — placed immediately after the ingredient list: "Contains: wheat, milk, eggs, tree nuts (walnuts)"

Either format works under Maine rules. The "Contains" statement is cleaner for products with multiple allergens.

Cross-contamination disclosures ("Produced in a kitchen that also processes peanuts") are not legally required in Maine. However, they significantly reduce your liability exposure if a customer with a severe allergy has a reaction. For home kitchens where you bake with nuts one day and nut-free cookies the next, a cross-contact advisory is strongly recommended.

Common Label Mistakes

Missing net weight. People remember the ingredient list but forget the weight. The DACF inspector will catch this at review.

Volumetric instead of weight for solids. Solid foods must be labeled by weight, not volume. "12 cookies" or "1 dozen" is not a legal net weight statement — you need the actual weight in ounces and grams.

Incomplete allergen coverage. Butter contains milk. Flour contains wheat. Eggs in your recipe make the product an egg allergen. Every ingredient needs to be traced back to its allergen source.

Inconsistent ingredient order. The descending-by-weight rule catches people when they reformulate a recipe but do not update the label. If you change proportions, re-weigh and re-order.

Using a business name without a DBA. If your label says "Sweet Pine Bakery" but you have not filed a DBA with your town clerk, the name is not legally yours. The $10 DBA filing should happen before you print labels.

Label Format and Printing

There is no required label size, font, or layout template in Maine. You can use:

• Printed adhesive stickers (most common for jars and bags)
• Direct-print packaging
• Hang tags (for items like wrapped bread loaves)

Keep the text legible. While Maine does not specify a minimum font size the way FDA federal rules do (1/16 inch minimum for most products), if an inspector cannot read your label without a magnifying glass, expect a correction notice.

The Maine Cottage Food & Home Food Business Guide includes label layout examples and a label checklist you can use to verify compliance before your inspection.

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