Missouri · Cottage Food

Missouri cottage food label requirements and cottage-law / Food Code checker

Answer a few plain-English questions about what you make and how you want to sell it. We sort your plan into Missouri's narrow statewide cottage-food statute or the broader local Food Code path, flag any mismatch, and build you a personalized checklist and printable label draft.

Free permit walk-through Free label generation Free checklist
Free customized label/checklist after walk-through completion

Built from Missouri DHSS guidance, Missouri law, and current state FAQ materials. Not legal advice and not state approval — rules can change, so verify final requirements with DHSS and your local public health agency before selling.

  • Free path checkSee whether your product fits Missouri's narrow statewide statute or only the broader local Food Code path.
  • Free checklistTurn Missouri's overlapping state and local exemption rules into a practical next-step list.
  • Free label generationDraft the Missouri label with the producer/address, allergens, and uninspected-kitchen disclosure.

Do I need a cottage food license in Missouri?

Often no, but the answer depends on which Missouri exemption you fit. The narrow statewide cottage-food statute only covers baked goods, canned jams or jellies, and dried herbs or herb mixes sold directly to consumers. Missouri DHSS also describes a broader Food Code individual-stand exemption for other non-potentially-hazardous foods, but only where local laws allow it. That means some Missouri sellers need to confirm the broader path with their local public health agency before relying on it.

Missouri label fields

  • Producer / operation name and address
  • Common food name
  • Ingredients in descending order by weight
  • Net weight
  • Allergen list
  • Statement that the product was prepared in a kitchen not subject to inspection

Common Missouri blockers

  • Trying to use the statewide statute for fruit butter, spice mixes, or other non-statutory processed products
  • Wholesale / resale inventory
  • Potentially hazardous foods, salsa, pickles, dairy, meat, or eggs
  • Relying on the broader local Food Code path without LPHA confirmation