How to label cottage food in Pennsylvania (2026 guide)

If you sell baked goods from your home in Pennsylvania, every item you sell has to be labeled correctly. Pennsylvania's cottage food law — 3 Pa.C.S. §§5721–5737 — is a solid, workable 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 Pennsylvania 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 Pennsylvania'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 Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture.

What every label must include

Per Pennsylvania'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. Net weight or volume.
5. The production date (date the food was made).
6. A clear notice to the consumer that the food is homemade and not state-inspected (see below).

What Pennsylvania law actually says

Labeling must comply with applicable federal and state requirements. Products must include product name, manufacturer/packer/distributor name and address, net weight or volume, ingredient list, and lot dates or numbers. Products must be properly labeled prior to sale. Specific commodity requirements for baked goods, jams and jellies, beverages, canned foods, and candy are detailed in the application packet.

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

Pennsylvania 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 Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture.

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.

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 Pennsylvania 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

• Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture
• Statute: 3 Pa.C.S. §§5721–5737
• State extension guidance
• Forrager — Pennsylvania
• Crosodo Pennsylvania state guide

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