Iowa Cottage Food
Generate Compliant Iowa Cottage Food Labels in Minutes
Iowa cottage food labels must include the required home kitchen disclosure. We've built it in automatically.
Here's What Your Label Will Look Like
Add the products you use, and Quickly Cottage builds the ingredient list, detects allergens, and adds Iowa's required disclosure automatically.
Product
Ingredients
Chocolate Cake Pops
Sunflower Home Bakery
Springfield, IA
Ingredients:
Enriched Bleached Flour (Wheat Flour, Niacin, Iron, Thiamin Mononitrate, Riboflavin, Folic Acid), Sugar, Cocoa (Processed with Alkali), Leavening (Baking Soda, Sodium Aluminum Phosphate, Monocalcium Phosphate), Corn Starch, Salt, Soybean Oil; Sugar, Unsweetened Chocolate, Cocoa Butter, Milkfat, Soy Lecithin, Vanilla; Sugar, Corn Starch, Vegetable Oil (Palm), Confectioner's Glaze, Carnauba Wax, FD&C Colors; Water, Propylene Glycol, FD&C Red 40.
Contains:
This product was produced at a residential property that is exempt from state licensing and inspection.
What Every Iowa Label Needs
Every cottage food product sold in Iowa needs a label with the following.
- All 9 FDA major allergens present
- Complete ingredient list, in descending order by weight
- Business name
- Product name
- City name
- "Not inspected" disclosure statement
Required Label Disclosure
This product was produced at a residential property that is exempt from state licensing and inspection.
Quickly Cottage adds this to your label automatically, exactly as required.
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Ingredient lists, allergens, and the required disclosure — built in automatically.
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What You Can Sell in Iowa
The following product types are permitted under Iowa's cottage food law, and every label needs an ingredient list, allergens, and (where required) the state disclosure above.
Baked Goods
Permitted- Cakes and cupcakes
- Cookies and brownies
- Muffins and quick breads
- Yeast breads and rolls
- Fruit pies (cream and custard pies require refrigeration and are not permitted)
- Cake pops and dipped treats
- Donuts and pastries
Candies and Confections
Permitted- Chocolates and fudge
- Hard candies and lollipops
- Toffee and caramel (shelf-stable)
- Cake truffles
Preserved and Dry Goods
Permitted- Jams, jellies, and preserves
- Honey and honeycomb
- Dried herbs and spices
- Roasted nuts and trail mix
- Granola and cereal
- Popcorn and flavored popcorn
- Dried pasta (no egg)
Beverages
Permitted- Coffee (roasted or ground, not brewed)
- Dry tea blends
What You Can't Sell
These product types aren't covered by Iowa's cottage food law and require a commercial kitchen license.
- Meat, poultry, and seafood products
- Dairy products (milk, cheese, butter)
- Items requiring refrigeration (cream pies, cheesecakes)
- Alcoholic beverages
- Fruit and vegetable juices
- Canned low-acid vegetables
Where You Can Sell
Iowa permits cottage food sales at the following venues.
Direct from your home
Farmers markets
Online sales
Annual Sales Cap
No cap
No annual revenue cap under the cottage tier. The HFPE tier has a $50,000 cap.
Permit & Registration
No permit or registration required
No permit or license is required for cottage food operations in Iowa.
Notes
Cottage tier has no cap. The HFPE (Home Food Processing Establishment) tier has a $50,000 cap.
Frequently asked questions
What does a Iowa cottage food label need to include?
Every Iowa cottage food label needs the product name, a complete ingredient list in descending order by weight, all 9 FDA major allergens, net weight, your business name, and your business address. Iowa also requires this disclosure: "This product was produced at a residential property that is exempt from state licensing and inspection." Quickly Cottage adds all of this automatically.
What is the required disclosure statement for Iowa cottage food?
The required language is: "This product was produced at a residential property that is exempt from state licensing and inspection." This must appear on every cottage food label sold under Iowa Cottage Food Law.
What is the annual sales cap for cottage food in Iowa?
Iowa's cottage food annual sales cap is: No cap gross revenue.
Where can I sell cottage food products made in Iowa?
In Iowa, cottage food producers can sell through: Direct from your home, Farmers markets, and Online sales.
Do I need to list sub-ingredients from a packaged mix on my Iowa cottage food label?
Yes. If you use a packaged ingredient like a Betty Crocker cake mix or Ghirardelli chocolate, you must list its sub-ingredients on your label, in the correct order. This is an FDA labeling rule that applies in Iowa and every other state. Quickly Cottage expands these automatically from our branded ingredient database.
Can I use Canva or Word to make my Iowa cottage food label?
You can design the visual layout in Canva or Word, but neither can auto-generate your ingredient list, detect allergens, or add Iowa's required disclosure statement. You'd need to compile all of that manually. Quickly Cottage handles it automatically for Iowa and all 50 states.
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