Cottage Food Laws by State
Mississippi Cottage Food Laws
Mississippi exempts small home food businesses from health department permitting as long as annual gross sales stay at or under $35,000. There is no registration or required class, and the kitchen is only inspected after a complaint. The trade-off is a tight set of rules on what you make, where you make it, and how you sell it.
Annual sales cap
$35,000
Permit
None
Training
Not required
Home inspection
No
Online sales
Not allowed
Shipping
Not allowed
Across state lines
Not allowed
Wholesale
Not allowed
Verified against official sources on 2026-10-21.
Where You Can Sell in Mississippi
Every sale has to be person to person between you and the final customer. Selling through websites, mail order, wholesale, restaurants, stores, or on consignment is off the table, and sales stay inside Mississippi. You may advertise online, including on social media. Farmers markets are a recognized outlet, and your city or county may add its own business license rules.
| Channel | Status |
|---|---|
| Farmers markets | Allowed |
| Online orders |
Conditions apply
Online and social media advertising is allowed, but the sale itself may not be made over the Internet. |
| Retail stores |
Conditions apply
No sales to retail establishments and no consignment; you must sell person to person. |
| Wholesale | Not allowed |
| Restaurants | Not allowed |
| Catering | Not allowed |
What You Can Sell in Mississippi
The state publishes an approved list: baked goods without cream or meat fillings, fruit pies, candy, dried fruit, dried pasta, spices, baking mixes, granola, popcorn, jams that meet federal standards, and acidified items with a finished pH of 4.6 or lower. Dairy, eggs, meat, cooked vegetables, juices, and any liquid or beverage product are not allowed.
Only non-potentially hazardous foods that stay safe at room temperature, limited to the MSDH-approved list of baked goods, candy, dry goods, jams, and acidified products.
Bread
Candy
Condiments
Dry goods
Preserves
Snacks
Allowed with conditions
- Chocolate-covered or candy-coated fruit — Whole uncut fruit only, not punctured with a stick; caramel apples are sold intact.
Not allowed
Limits and Requirements
Annual sales cap
$35,000
- Gross annual sales may not exceed $35,000, counting all locations and all people in the operation
- Products must be made in your home kitchen, not an outbuilding or rented kitchen
- Sales are direct to the final consumer; no wholesale, retail stores, restaurants, or consignment
- No sales over the Internet or by mail order; advertising online is allowed
- Products may be sold only inside Mississippi
- Must be prepackaged with a complete label
- Operations that break the rules face a fine up to $1,000
Local rules: MSDH says you may need a business license or other permit from your city, or county if outside city limits, and should consider zoning, taxes, and insurance.
How to Start Selling in Mississippi
-
1
Check your product against the approved list
Compare each recipe with the MSDH FAQ list of allowed and prohibited foods; liquids, dairy, and low-acid canned goods are out.
-
2
Plan to stay under the cap
Track gross sales; MSDH can ask for written documentation of annual gross sales.
-
3
Consider food safety training
Not required, but MSDH strongly encourages courses, especially if you make acidified or pickled products.
-
4
Check local requirements
Ask your city, or your county if outside city limits, about a business license, zoning, taxes, and insurance.
-
5
Label every package
Add the required label details and the cottage food statement in at least 10-point type.
-
6
Call MSDH with questions
The MSDH Food Protection Division can send a copy of the statute and answer questions at 601-576-7689.
What a Compliant Mississippi Label Looks Like
Quickly Cottage builds your ingredient list, detects allergens, and adds the required disclosure automatically.
Product
Ingredients
Chocolate Cake Pops
Net Wt: 8 oz (227g)
Sunflower Home Bakery
412 Maple Ave, Springfield, MS
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:
Made in a cottage food operation that is not subject to Mississippi's food safety regulations.
Label Requirements
Every cottage food product sold in Mississippi must have a label that includes the following.
| Required field |
|---|
| All 9 FDA major allergens present |
| Complete ingredient list, in descending order by weight |
| Business name |
| Business address |
| Product name |
| Net weight |
| "Not inspected" disclosure statement |
Mississippi Labeling Notes
- Allergens can appear in the ingredient list or in a Contains statement; tree nuts must be named specifically.
- Products must be prepackaged with the label affixed.
Required Label Disclosure
This exact text must appear on every label you sell in Mississippi.
Made in a cottage food operation that is not subject to Mississippi's food safety regulations.
Quickly Cottage adds this to your label automatically.
Generate your Mississippi label in minutes
Ingredient lists, allergens, and the required disclosure — built in automatically.
Mississippi Cottage Food — Common Questions
No MSDH permit is needed if you stay under $35,000 in annual gross sales and follow the statute, but you may still need a city or county business license.
The limit is $35,000 in gross sales.
No training is required; MSDH strongly encourages food safety and acidified-food courses.
Online sales are not allowed. Shipping is not allowed. Online and social media advertising is allowed, but the sale itself may not be made over the Internet.
Not allowed: Meat, fish, poultry; Dairy products including custard pies; Eggs (except air-dried hard-cooked in shell); Cooked vegetables, potatoes, beans, legumes, rice; Nut butters; Fruit and vegetable juices; Beverages and other liquid foods; Low-acid canned foods (pH above 4.6); Sugar-free or reduced-sugar jams and jellies; Raw sprouts, sliced melons, garlic or herbs in oil; Smoked fish, pasteurized and pre-cooked foods.
Resources and Law History
Who to contact
Mississippi State Department of Health, Food Protection Division
601-576-7689
Agency website2020
HB 326, effective July 1, 2020, let cottage food operations advertise on the Internet and social media; sales must still be direct to the consumer.
Law reference: Mississippi Cottage Food Law (Miss. Code Ann. 75-29-951 (Exemption of cottage food operations)) · Last updated 2026 · Always verify requirements with your state's department of agriculture before selling.
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