Every California cottage food product must carry a compliant label under Health and Safety Code section 114365.2. DEHQ reviews your labels when you apply, so getting them right up front keeps your application moving. For how label review fits into the application, see the San Diego cottage food guide. Below is an annotated sample, the seven required elements, and the San Diego specifics.
This is a sample for a fictional product. The numbered callouts map to the seven required elements listed below it.
Put the common or descriptive name of the product on the principal display panel, the part of the package a customer sees first.
Include the name, city, and ZIP of the cottage food operation. The full street address is required unless the business is listed in a current telephone directory. A phone or email is optional.
The exact words "Made in a Home Kitchen" must appear in at least 12-point type on the principal display panel. Use "Repackaged in a Home Kitchen" when applicable; if you do, the label must also describe any purchased ready-to-eat products that are not used as an ingredient.
Show the registration number (Class A) or permit number (Class B) and the name of the issuing county. For San Diego cooks that reads "Registration Issued by San Diego County" or the permit equivalent. The number is 17 digits once issued, and the county allows a placeholder until the actual number is assigned.
When there are two or more ingredients, list them in descending order by weight, including the sub-ingredients of any store-bought components.
Declare the major food allergens under federal law: milk, eggs, fish, crustacean shellfish, tree nuts, peanuts, wheat, soybeans, and sesame. You can do this within the ingredient list or in a separate "Contains:" statement.
State the net quantity in both US and metric units, for example Net Wt 6 oz (170 g).
The smallest acceptable letter size for all other label text is 1/16 inch, measured at a lowercase "o".
A Nutrition Facts panel is required only if the label makes a nutrient content claim. The county lists eleven trigger words: free, low, reduced, fewer, high, less, more, lean, extra lean, good source, and light.
California also requires that any internet, social media, or print advertising for cottage food products include the county name, the registration or permit number, and the "Made in a Home Kitchen" statement, under Health and Safety Code section 114365.2.
What's Cookin' Tonight generates compliant, printable product labels for its cooks at no cost, including the required "Made in a Home Kitchen" statement, the allergen line, and a QR code to the cook's page.
Cook with What's Cookin' TonightSeven elements under Health and Safety Code 114365.2: the product name, the operation's name and address, the "Made in a Home Kitchen" statement in at least 12-point type, the registration or permit number and issuing county, ingredients in descending order by weight, a major food allergen declaration, and the net quantity in US and metric units.
The exact words "Made in a Home Kitchen" in at least 12-point type on the principal display panel, or "Repackaged in a Home Kitchen" when that applies. If you repackage, the label must also describe any purchased ready-to-eat products that are not used as an ingredient.
The registration number (Class A) or permit number (Class B) and the issuing county, which for San Diego cooks reads "Registration Issued by San Diego County" or the permit equivalent. The number is 17 digits once issued, and the county allows a placeholder until the actual number is assigned.
Only if the label makes a nutrient content claim. The county lists eleven trigger words: free, low, reduced, fewer, high, less, more, lean, extra lean, good source, and light.
Yes. California requires that any internet, social media, or print advertising for cottage food products include the county name, the registration or permit number, and the "Made in a Home Kitchen" statement, under Health and Safety Code section 114365.2.
Yes. At application you submit at least one sample label per food category, and up to ten label reviews are included in the initial fee. See the San Diego cottage food guide for the application process.
Ready to apply? The San Diego cottage food guide covers the classes, cost, and steps.