In short
- Fill in the form and get a print-ready Texas cottage food label with the statements the DSHS page requires, quoted word for word.
- Every label needs your business name, an address or DSHS registration number, the product's common name, major allergens and the residence disclosure.
- Foods that need refrigeration (TCS) also need the date made and the safe handling statement in at least 12-point font.
- Net weight is not mentioned on the DSHS page. This tool lets you add it, and says "ask DSHS" instead of guessing.
This free Texas cottage food label maker builds a label from the items the DSHS cottage food page lists after SB 541 (effective September 1, 2025). Nothing you type leaves your browser. We read the DSHS page on 2026-10-25.
Live label preview
Informational tool, not legal advice. Confirm your label with DSHS before you print a batch. Our guide says to review each label against the current DSHS Food Labeling section. Nothing you type is stored or sent.
What must be on a Texas cottage food label
From the DSHS "Food Labeling" section as quoted in our guide. The page says foods must be "packaged and labeled" and the label must include:
| Required item | In plain words |
|---|---|
| Legible writing | Readable by a normal person without effort |
| Operation name | Your business name |
| Address, or unique identification number | Your address, or the DSHS registration number in place of an address |
| Common or usual name | "Chocolate chip cookies", not "Grandma's Surprise" alone |
| Major food allergens | If made with eggs, tree nuts, soy, peanuts, milk, wheat or sesame, list that ingredient |
| Residence disclosure | Exact text in the next box |
| Batch number (certain foods) | A unique number for each batch of pickled fruit or vegetables, fermented vegetable products, or plant-based acidified canned goods |
The disclosure, exactly as the DSHS page gives it:
THIS PRODUCT WAS PRODUCED IN A PRIVATE RESIDENCE THAT IS NOT SUBJECT TO GOVERNMENTAL LICENSING OR INSPECTION.
Refrigerated foods add two items
Not refrigerated
- The seven items above
- Registration is optional (to print a number instead of your address)
Example: cookies, bread.
TCS (refrigerated)
- Everything on the left
- The date the food was made
- The safe handling statement, in at least 12-point font, on the label or on an invoice or receipt provided with the food
- DSHS registration is required
Example: cheesecake.
The safe handling statement, exactly as the DSHS page gives it:
SAFE HANDLING INSTRUCTIONS: To prevent illness from bacteria, keep this food refrigerated or frozen until the food is prepared for consumption.
Cases this tool cannot settle
| Situation | What the sources say |
|---|---|
| Net weight | Not mentioned on the DSHS page. Ask DSHS. |
| Federal food labeling rules | Our guide does not cover them. Ask DSHS whether any apply to cottage food products. |
| Bulky or unpackaged food | Foods too large or bulky for conventional packaging, such as a wedding cake, get the label information on an invoice or receipt. |
| Resold by a cottage food vendor | The label "must include ... the date the food was made", and the vendor displays a sign near the food with the residence disclosure. |
| Online sales | All required label information goes on your website as a legible statement before you accept payment. After payment, the address or ID number goes on the food label. Whether a social media page counts as a website is not explained: ask DSHS. |
| "Cottage Food Production Operations rules" | The DSHS page refers to these rules. Read their labeling section before you print. |
- Print a test label. Read it at arm's length: legibility is a requirement.
- Black text on white or a light background. It is easy to read and to photocopy.
- Check that the adhesive holds. Chilled, humid and oily packaging can lift labels.
Not sure your food is allowed at all? Use the Texas cottage food checker. For the full order of steps, read the Texas cottage food checklist.
Sources: DSHS Texas Cottage Food Production and SB 541 (89th Legislature, effective September 1, 2025), as quoted in the Northpine Local guide to Texas cottage food. Checked 2026-10-25. DSHS contact from the page: [email protected], 512-834-6753.
Frequently asked questions
What has to be on a Texas cottage food label?
Per the DSHS Food Labeling section as quoted in our guide: legible writing, the name of the cottage food production operation, the address or a unique identification number, the common or usual name of the product, major food allergens, the residence disclosure and, for certain foods, a batch number.
Can I use my DSHS registration number instead of my address?
Yes. The DSHS page lets you print a unique identification number instead of an address. Registration is optional unless you sell TCS (refrigerated) foods, and the registration is on the DSHS Online Licensing Registry.
What extra do refrigerated (TCS) foods need on the label?
The date the food was made, and the safe handling statement in at least 12-point font. The statement may be on the label or on an invoice or receipt provided with the food.
Do I need to put net weight on the label?
The DSHS page does not mention net weight. Do not assume it is required or optional: ask DSHS at [email protected] or 512-834-6753.
Does this tool store or send what I type?
No. It runs in your browser. Nothing you enter is stored or sent.