How to label cottage food in Wisconsin (2026 guide)

If you sell baked goods from your home in Wisconsin, every item you sell has to be labeled correctly. Wisconsin's cottage food law — Wis. Stat. §97.29 — 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 Wisconsin 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 Wisconsin'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 Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection.

What every label must include

Per Wisconsin'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 Wisconsin law actually says

For home-canned goods (§97.29(2)(b)2): label must include the name and address of the preparer, the date canned, the statement 'This product was made in a private home not subject to state licensing or inspection,' and ingredients in descending order of prominence with major allergen common names listed. A sign at the point of sale must state: 'These canned goods are homemade and not subject to state inspection.' For home bakers under the Kivirist exemption, labeling requirements are not separately codified.

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

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

This product was made in a private home not subject to state licensing or inspection,

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

Wisconsin 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.

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 Wisconsin 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
• Packaging prevents contamination

Official sources

• Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection
• Statute: Wis. Stat. §97.29
• State extension guidance
• Forrager — Wisconsin
• Crosodo Wisconsin state guide

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