Cottage food label requirements in Maine
Home Food Manufacturing (Home Food License); local Food Sovereignty ordinances, 22 MRSA §2167 (license required); 01-001 CMR ch. 345 Home Food Manufacturing; 7 MRSA §284 (Maine Food Sovereignty Act, local ordinances). Regulated by Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry, Quality Assurance & Regulations. Checked against state sources on .
Not fully verified. We could not confirm every detail for Maine on a primary state source when we checked. Treat these items as unconfirmed and check them with Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry, Quality Assurance & Regulations before you print: disclaimerText, requiredElements, permitNotes, allowedFoods/onlineSales/shipping.
The statement your label needs
No fixed statement found in Maine’s rules
No type-size rule stated for the statement; keep it clearly legible.
What is different in Maine
- Licensed and inspected home kitchen rather than a license-exempt cottage food law
- Labels required for products sold to stores, wholesale or marketed to the public; not for direct sale from the home
- Towns may adopt Food Sovereignty ordinances (7 MRSA §284) exempting direct producer-to-consumer sales from state food licensing; the State does not enforce covered laws there
- Permit
- License and kitchen inspection required. Home food manufacturing application filed annually with DACF; the Department inspects the premises before a license is issued or renewed. DACF guidance lists a $20/year fee. Operating a food establishment without a license is a civil violation (fine up to $500).
- Sales cap
- No annual sales cap found in state sources
- Where you can sell
- From the home, farmers markets and other venues; ch. 345 also contemplates sales to stores and wholesale. Products sold directly to a consumer from the home do not require a label.
- Online orders
- Not addressed clearly by state sources
- Ship in state
- Not addressed clearly by state sources
- Ship out of state
- Not addressed clearly by state sources
- Sell to shops / cafés
- Yes
- Allowed foods
- Licensed home kitchens may manufacture foods under ch. 345 standards (the chapter also covers home shellfish processing); specific food restrictions not confirmed on a primary page.
What a Maine cottage food label must show
- Common or usual name of the product
- Ingredients in order of predominance
- Net weight or numerical count
- Name and address of the producer, manufacturer or distributor, with zip code
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). Maine’s sources do not clearly address online orders — ask the agency before you set up a web shop. Shipping within the state is not clearly addressed, and shipping to other states is not addressed (selling across state lines also brings in federal rules).
Make a Maine label now
The Maine 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.
Still missing: business name and address.
Print at 100% scale with no margins. Check the result against Maine’s rules above before selling.
True size. Maine sets no fixed statement in our sources.
Maine cottage food questions
What statement has to be on a Maine cottage food label?
Our Maine sources set no fixed home-kitchen statement. You still need the federal basics: product name, ingredients by weight, allergens, net quantity, and your name and address.
Do I need a permit to sell baked goods from home in Maine?
License and kitchen inspection required. Home food manufacturing application filed annually with DACF; the Department inspects the premises before a license is issued or renewed. DACF guidance lists a $20/year fee. Operating a food establishment without a license is a civil violation (fine up to $500).
Is there a sales limit for cottage food in Maine?
No annual cap appears in the state sources we checked. No sales cap found in statute or rule.
Can I sell cottage food online or ship it in Maine?
Maine’s sources do not clearly address online orders — ask the agency before you set up a web shop. Shipping within the state is not clearly addressed, and shipping to other states is not addressed (selling across state lines also brings in federal rules).
Sources
- 22 MRSA §2167 License required (statute)
- 7 MRSA §284 Local control (Food Sovereignty) (statute)
- 01-001 CMR ch. 345 Home Food Manufacturing (regulation)
- Maine DACF: Home License 101 (agency)
Checked October 18, 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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