How to label cottage food in Massachusetts (2026 guide)

If you sell baked goods from your home in Massachusetts, every item you sell has to be labeled correctly. Massachusetts's cottage food law — 105 CMR 590.009(D) — is a workable but more limited 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 Massachusetts 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 Massachusetts'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 Massachusetts Department of Public Health.

What every label must include

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

1. Your business (operation) name and address.
2. An ingredient list in descending order by weight (major allergens called out).
3. Allergen disclosure for any of the 9 federal major allergens present.
4. A clear notice to the consumer that the food is homemade and not state-inspected (see below).

What Massachusetts law actually says

Labels must include all ingredients in order of amount by volume, a list of allergens, the name of the residential kitchen, address and/or phone number, and a sell-by date if required. Full requirements are governed by 105 CMR 520.000 Massachusetts Labeling Regulations. No specific cottage-food disclaimer statement is required by statute, though local boards of health may impose additional requirements.

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

Massachusetts does not mandate one exact sentence, but you must clearly inform the buyer that the food is homemade and has not been inspected by the state. A safe, widely-accepted wording is below — confirm the current requirement with Massachusetts Department of Public Health.

This food was made in a home kitchen that is not inspected by the state or local health department and 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.

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 Massachusetts 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
• Packaging prevents contamination

Official sources

• Massachusetts Department of Public Health
• Statute: 105 CMR 590.009(D)
• State extension guidance
• Forrager — Massachusetts
• Crosodo Massachusetts state guide

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