Companion to the lesson "Labels and the Allergen Line"
Label Anatomy Checklist (standard set; your state's text names its own fields)
☐ Product name (the generic name: "Sourdough sandwich loaf")
☐ Ingredients list: everything, ordered by weight, heaviest first
☐ Sub-ingredients: components of components, "butter (cream, salt)"
☐ Allergen declaration: which of the nine major allergens are present
☐ Producer info: your name or bakery name and contact
☐ Home kitchen statement: standard wording like "Made in a home kitchen not inspected by the state"
The whole trick on order: weigh what goes in the bowl, then sort. A simple sourdough reads flour, water, salt; add butter and honey and the order shuffles to the actual gram counts. Most states do not require listing sourdough starter separately (it is only flour and water already on the list); check your state's text.
The Nine FDA Allergens (declare plainly, every time, common name or "contains" statement)
☐ Milk
☐ Eggs
☐ Fish
☐ Crustacean shellfish
☐ Tree nuts
☐ Peanuts
☐ Wheat
☐ Soybeans
☐ Sesame (added January 1, 2023, FASTER Act; older templates have not all caught up)
Cross-contact reminder: if your cookies share a stand mixer bowl with peanut butter brownies, the cookies contain peanuts as far as your customer is concerned. Bake allergen-containing items last in the day and wash everything between.
The Refuse-the-Order Script (severe-allergy requests)
"I can't guarantee my kitchen is safe for that."
Said out loud, every time. Protecting a sale here can hospitalize someone.
Products That Cross Out of Cottage Law
☐ Checked against the state's allowed-foods list before adding any product
☐ Refrigeration dividing line: cream cheese frostings, custard and chess pies, cheesecakes, cream-filled pastries, anything meant to be eaten immediately tend to fall outside standard cottage rules or need a different tier
☐ Canning boundary: high-acid jams and fruit butters commonly allowed where cottage canning is permitted; low-acid canning of vegetables or meats sits outside cottage law everywhere. If a product needs a pressure canner, it is not a cottage product, full stop