How to label cottage food in Colorado (2026 guide)

If you sell baked goods from your home in Colorado, every item you sell has to be labeled correctly. Colorado's cottage food law — C.R.S. §25-4-1614 — is a strong, baker-friendly law, 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 Colorado 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 Colorado'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 Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment.

What every label must include

Per Colorado'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 (operation) name and address.
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 Colorado law actually says

The package label must include the product name, producer's name and address, phone number or email, production date, ingredients, and the statement: 'This product was produced in a home kitchen that is not subject to state licensure or inspection and that may also process common food allergens such as tree nuts, peanuts, eggs, soy, wheat, milk, fish, and crustacean shellfish. This product is not intended for resale.' A point-of-sale sign uses the shorter two-sentence form without the allergen list.

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

Colorado requires this statement, word for word, on the label or a point-of-sale sign:

This product was produced in a home kitchen that is not subject to state licensure or inspection and that may also process common food allergens such as tree nuts, peanuts, eggs, soy, wheat, milk, fish, and crustacean shellfish. This product is not intended for resale.

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

Point-of-sale signs at markets

Colorado lets you (or requires you to) post a placard/sign with the disclaimer at farmers markets and events in addition to — or sometimes instead of — labeling each package. Keep a printed sign in your booth kit so you're always covered.

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 Colorado 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
• Production date included where required
• Packaging prevents contamination

Official sources

• Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment
• Statute: C.R.S. §25-4-1614
• State extension guidance
• Forrager — Colorado
• Crosodo Colorado state guide

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