Proofsheet

Cottage food label requirements in Delaware

Cottage Food Regulations (Cottage Food Establishments), 16 Del. Admin. Code 4458A (amended 27 DE Reg. 432, eff. Dec 11, 2023). Regulated by Delaware Division of Public Health, Office of Food Protection. Checked against state sources on .

The statement your label needs

This food is made in a Cottage Food Establishment and is NOT subject to routine Government Food Safety Inspections

Type size and placement: Labels printed in at least 10-point type in a color that provides a clear contrast to the background label

What is different in Delaware

  • Online sales prohibited; online advertising allowed
  • Label shows town/city only, not full home address (since Dec 2023)
  • Only products listed on the registration may be produced
  • Sesame added to major allergens in 2023 amendment
Permit
Registration required. Annual registration with the Division, $30 per CFE, year runs April 1 - March 31. Food safety proficiency (test) required. Division may conduct preoperational inspections and complaint inspections. Only products listed on the registration may be made; registration displayed at venues.
Sales cap
No annual sales cap found in state sources
Where you can sell
Direct sales to consumers in Delaware at farmers markets, craft fairs, charitable events and other approved venues.
Online orders
No
Ship in state
No
Ship out of state
No
Sell to shops / cafés
No
Allowed foods
Non-potentially hazardous foods specifically listed on the CFE registration (e.g. baked goods, candy, jams).

What a Delaware cottage food label must show

  1. Name of CFE
  2. Name of product
  3. "town/city, Delaware"
  4. Phone number or email of CFE
  5. Net weight or unit count
  6. Date of production or lot number
  7. Ingredients in decreasing order by weight (available on request if label too small)
  8. Food source of each major food allergen
  9. The required statement (above)

Federal rules still apply on top: ingredients in descending order by weight (21 CFR 101.4), the nine major allergens declared by name (FALCPA and the FASTER Act), and net quantity in ounces and grams (21 CFR 101.7). Delaware’s rules do not allow online cottage food sales; sales are face to face. Mailing or shipping is not allowed, and products may not cross state lines.

Make a Delaware label now

The Delaware statement is already on it. Type your ingredients, tick the allergens and print on Avery sheets or a thermal roll. To have the ingredient order and allergens worked out from a costed recipe, use the workbench.

List by weight in the recipe, largest first, with sub-ingredients in parentheses. The workbench does this ordering for you from a recipe.
Contains (major food allergens)

Still missing: business name and address.

Print at 100% scale with no margins. Check the result against Delaware’s rules above before selling.

Chocolate chip cookies
Ingredients: Enriched flour (wheat flour, niacin, reduced iron, thiamine mononitrate, riboflavin, folic acid), semisweet chocolate (sugar, chocolate, cocoa butter, soy lecithin), butter (cream), brown sugar, eggs, sugar, vanilla extract, baking soda, salt.
Contains: Milk, Egg, Wheat, Soy.
Net Wt 3 oz (85 g)
This food is made in a Cottage Food Establishment and is NOT subject to routine Government Food Safety Inspections

True size. Delaware statement at 10 pt minimum.

Delaware cottage food questions

What statement has to be on a Delaware cottage food label?

Delaware requires: “This food is made in a Cottage Food Establishment and is NOT subject to routine Government Food Safety Inspections” (Labels printed in at least 10-point type in a color that provides a clear contrast to the background label).

Do I need a permit to sell baked goods from home in Delaware?

Registration required. Annual registration with the Division, $30 per CFE, year runs April 1 - March 31. Food safety proficiency (test) required. Division may conduct preoperational inspections and complaint inspections. Only products listed on the registration may be made; registration displayed at venues.

Is there a sales limit for cottage food in Delaware?

No annual cap appears in the state sources we checked. No cap; former $25,000 gross annual sales limit removed effective Dec 11, 2023.

Can I sell cottage food online or ship it in Delaware?

Delaware’s rules do not allow online cottage food sales; sales are face to face. Mailing or shipping is not allowed, and products may not cross state lines.

Sources

  1. Delaware Register 27 DE Reg. 432 (12/1/2023) Final: 4458A Cottage Food Regulations (regulation)
  2. 16 Del. Admin. Code 4458A (regulation)
  3. Delaware DPH: CFE plan review information (agency)

Checked October 17, 2026. This is a checklist built from the sources above, not legal advice. Rules change; your county or the agency has the final word. Spotted something out of date? The about page explains how we check.

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