NC Cottage Food Guide

NC Cottage Food GuideNC Cottage Food GuideNC Cottage Food Guide

NC Cottage Food Guide

NC Cottage Food GuideNC Cottage Food GuideNC Cottage Food Guide
  • Home
  • Cottage Food Advantage
  • The Rules
  • My Kitchen
  • Low Risk Foods
  • High Risk Foods
  • Labeling
  • Before Starting Business
  • Recipes
  • Cottage Foods Photos
  • More
    • Home
    • Cottage Food Advantage
    • The Rules
    • My Kitchen
    • Low Risk Foods
    • High Risk Foods
    • Labeling
    • Before Starting Business
    • Recipes
    • Cottage Foods Photos

  • Home
  • Cottage Food Advantage
  • The Rules
  • My Kitchen
  • Low Risk Foods
  • High Risk Foods
  • Labeling
  • Before Starting Business
  • Recipes
  • Cottage Foods Photos

Home Processor and Kitchen Location

The package label must have the Name and Place of Business of the processor.
NC Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act


(If an internet search based on processor name, city, state returns the street address, then the street address may be omitted.)

21CFR  101.5.d


Product Name

Be Clear and Descriptive: The common or usual name of the food or an appropriately descriptive term.

The name should tell customers exactly what they're getting. "Chocolate Chip Cookies" is perfect! If your creation is one-of-a-kind, a descriptive term like "Grandma's Spiced Pecan Bread" works too.
21 CFR 101.3.b

Ingredients

Ingredients shall be listed by common or usual name in descending order of predominance by weight.


Main Ingredients First: Start by listing all your ingredients by their common name, with the most used ingredient listed first and so on. For example, "Flour, Sugar, Butter, Eggs, Chocolate Chips."

Sub-Ingredients Get Listed Too: If a pre-made ingredient, like chocolate chips, has its own ingredients, list them in parentheses after the main ingredient (e.g., "Chocolate Chips (Sugar, Cocoa Butter, Milk, Lecithin, Vanilla)").


Small Amounts Don't Need Every Detail: If an ingredient makes up less than 2% of the total weight, you can group them together at the end with a phrase like "Contains less than 2% of salt, baking soda."

 21 CFR 101.4.a


Let your customers with allergies know what's in your treats. List any of the eight major allergens (milk, eggs, fish, shellfish, tree nuts, wheat, peanuts, soybeans) in bold lettering, at least as bold and prominent as the ingredient statement.

 Contains (.......)


Amount

The net quantity of contents shall be expressed in the terms of weight, numerical count, or a combination of numerical count and weight or measure. Tell your customers how much they're getting! 


Statements of weight shall be in terms of avoirdupois pound and ounce.

Statements of fluid measure shall be in terms of the U.S. gallon of 231 cubic inches and quart, pint, and fluid ounce subdivisions thereof. 21 CFR 101.7.b

Labeling Exemption

There are exemptions from food labeling requirements for certain situations covered by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulations [21 CFR 101.100(b)(2)].

Here's a breakdown of the exemption:

  • Applies to food in bulk containers selling directly to consumers.
  • Individual items within the bulk container don't need their own labels.
  • The bulk container itself must be labeled with all the required information, including ingredients, prominently displayed and easily readable (letters at least ¼ inch high).
  • Alternatively, the vendor can use a clear placard, sign, or other device near the bulk container to display the required information, again with lettering at least ¼ inch high.

This exemption allows for selling unpack-aged foods while still providing customers with the necessary information about what they're buying.

Home Processing Statement

A home Processing Statement may be added but not required.  Simple (Made in a home kitchen) or detailed (Made in a home kitchen that has not been inspected  nor regulated by the state).  The more informed the customer the better.

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