Labelara

Texas Cottage Food Label Requirements

Cottage Food Production Operation (CFPO) — Texas HSC ch. 437, as amended by SB 541 (eff. Sep 1, 2025)

Registration

Not required

No registration for basic CFPOs. Free DSHS registration required for: TCS food sellers, and operations using the unique ID number instead of a home address.

Annual sales limit

$150,000/year gross income (SB 541, eff. Sep 1, 2025; CPI-U adjusted annually by DSHS)

Where you can sell

Direct to consumers: home, farmers' markets, farm stands, festivals, food service establishments, retail stores; internet/phone orders allowed (personal delivery required for some foods); wholesale only to registered cottage food vendors (non-TCS). Texas only.

The required label statement

THIS PRODUCT WAS PRODUCED IN A PRIVATE RESIDENCE THAT IS NOT SUBJECT TO GOVERNMENTAL LICENSING OR INSPECTION.

Exact sentence, printed in all caps per the statute (HSC §437.0193(b), verified character-for-character against enrolled SB 541). For TCS foods add, in at least 12-point font: "SAFE HANDLING INSTRUCTIONS: To prevent illness from bacteria, keep this food refrigerated or frozen until the food is prepared for consumption."

What must be on your label

  • Name of the cottage food production operation
  • Address — or a DSHS-issued unique identification number if registered (privacy option, SB 541)
  • The disclosure statement (exact sentence above)
  • Common/usual name of the product
  • Major food allergens (DSHS list: eggs, tree nuts, soy, peanuts, milk, wheat, sesame)
  • TCS foods: date made + SAFE HANDLING INSTRUCTIONS statement (≥12-point; label or accompanying invoice/receipt)
  • Pickled/fermented products: unique batch number
  • Sold through a cottage food vendor: date made
  • Internet sales: all labeling info shown to the consumer before payment

Worth knowing

  • WORDING CHANGED Sep 1, 2025: labels with the old "not inspected by the Department of State Health Services or a local health department" text are outdated — use the new exact all-caps sentence.
  • Address vs unique-ID choice is a privacy feature to surface in the generator.
  • Cottage food vendors must display the same disclosure on a point-of-sale sign.

Verified against official Texas sources on 2026-08-31. Official source. This page is not legal advice — confirm requirements with your state.

Create a label with the Texas statement included