How to label cottage food in Arkansas (2026 guide)

If you sell baked goods from your home in Arkansas, every item you sell has to be labeled correctly. Arkansas's cottage food law — A.C.A. §20-57-201 (Act 1040 of 2021) — is one of the most permissive (“Food Freedom”) laws in the country, but the labeling rules are specific, and getting them wrong means you lose the protection the law gives you.

This guide walks through exactly what goes on a Arkansas cottage food label, gives you a copy-paste template, and covers the edge cases that trip people up. It mirrors our most popular label walkthrough — how to label cottage food in Texas — adapted to Arkansas's rules.

Not legal advice. We're a small apparel brand that cares about home bakers. For anything serious, read the law directly or call Arkansas Department of Health.

What every label must include

Per Arkansas's cottage food labeling rules, every product label must include:

1. The common or usual name of the product (e.g. “Classic Sourdough Loaf” — a brand name alone is not enough).
2. Your business name and home address — or a state-issued ID / registration / permit number in place of your address (most home bakers use the ID to keep their home address off every package).
3. An ingredient list in descending order by weight (major allergens called out).
4. The production date (date the food was made).
5. Allergen disclosure for any of the 9 federal major allergens present.
6. The state's required disclaimer statement, verbatim (exact wording below).

What Arkansas law actually says

Labels or listings must include the production date, the producer's name, address, and phone number (or a Department of Agriculture ID number), the common or usual name, ingredients in descending order, and the statement: 'This product was produced in a private residence that is exempt from state licensing and inspection. This product may contain allergens.' Acidified foods also need a unique batch number.

The 9 federal major allergens you must disclose

• Milk
• Eggs
• Fish
• Shellfish
• Tree nuts
• Peanuts
• Wheat
• Soy
• Sesame (added federally in 2023 — frequently missed)

You don't have to list every ingredient in most states, but you must explicitly name any of these allergens that are present. “May contain” hedging isn't a substitute — if it's in there, name it. Sesame became the 9th federal major allergen in 2023 and is the one most older label templates miss.

The required disclaimer

Arkansas requires this statement, word for word, on the label:

This product was produced in a private residence that is exempt from state licensing and inspection. This product may contain allergens.

Copy-paste label template

Print it on a sticker, put it on the bag. Adjust the ingredient and allergen lines for each product.

The extra rules worth knowing

Batch numbers for canned / acidified goods

Pickles, jams, fermented items and other acidified or home-canned goods usually need a unique batch number tied to your production records, so a specific lot can be traced in a recall. Plain baked goods generally don't.

Common labeling mistakes to avoid

1. Forgetting sesame as a major allergen (added federally in 2023 — many older templates list only 8).
2. Using “may contain” when the product actually contains the allergen. Name it if it's present.
3. Leaving off the required disclaimer because you printed small business-card-style labels. The disclaimer is non-negotiable.
4. Handing out unlabeled samples. If you're giving a free taste at a market, the rules still apply.
5. Using a P.O. Box where Arkansas requires a physical address (or use your state-issued ID number instead where allowed).

Quick checklist before you print

• Product common name (not just a brand name)
• Business name on label
• Address or state ID number on label
• All 9 major allergens disclosed if present (including sesame)
• Required disclaimer statement, verbatim
• Ingredients in descending order by weight
• Production date included where required
• Packaging prevents contamination

Official sources

• Arkansas Department of Health
• Statute: A.C.A. §20-57-201 (Act 1040 of 2021)
• State extension guidance
• Forrager — Arkansas
• Crosodo Arkansas state guide

For the full breakdown of Arkansas's rules — sales cap, registration, county zoning — see the Crosodo Arkansas state guide. If your Arkansas county is missing from our directory, tell us and we'll add it next.