Illinois Cottage Food Resources
A practical starting point for Illinois cottage food operators. Not legal advice — always verify with your county/local health department and the latest state guidance.
Vendois is built around pickup-first, local commerce — and in Illinois that often means navigating cottage food rules, labeling expectations, and county-by-county requirements. This page collects practical resources and plain-English pointers.
Start here
University of Illinois Extension has a solid overview of the Cottage Food Operation Law, including what changed in 2018/2021.
Quick reminders
- Rules can vary by county / local health department.
- Keep your ingredient list, allergen statements, and label ready.
- If you expand into higher-risk foods or wholesale, you may need a different license category.
Official sources
These are the sources we’ll treat as primary and cite directly.
University of Illinois Extension — Cottage Food
Education + plain-language overview of Illinois’ Cottage Food Operation Law and its expansions.
UI Extension — Labeling
Label requirements, allergen explanation, and the exact required disclosure phrase.
UI Extension — Food Labeling and Placards
Point-of-sale placard notice + label element checklist + an example label.
IDPH — CFPM / FSSMC
Illinois info on Certified Food Protection Manager requirements and the ANSI-accredited certification pathway.
ANAB — CFPM directory (ANSI-accredited programs)
The official listing of ANSI-accredited Certified Food Protection Manager certification programs.
Label template (copy/paste)
Based on UI Extension’s ‘Food Labeling and Placards’ + ‘Labeling’ pages. Customize placeholders for each product.
Required disclosure phrase (label)
UI Extension calls out this exact phrase as required in prominent lettering:
“This product was produced in a home kitchen not inspected by a health department that may also process common food allergens. If you have safety concerns, contact your local health department.”
Source: Labeling
Booth placard / point-of-sale notice
UI Extension notes a placard should be displayed at point of sale (and an online notice at point of sale).
“This product was produced in a home kitchen not subject to public health inspection that may also process common food allergens.”
Source: Food Labeling and Placards
Simple label layout (template)
Copy/paste and fill in the brackets.
[COTTAGE FOOD OPERATION NAME], [COUNTY / CITY / VILLAGE] Registration Number: [REGISTRATION #], [MUNICIPALITY OR COUNTY WHERE FILED] Product: [COMMON OR USUAL NAME] Net Wt: [__] oz (optional but common) Ingredients: [LIST ALL INGREDIENTS IN DESCENDING ORDER BY WEIGHT] Contains: [ALLERGENS] (optional format; may also be included within Ingredients) Production Date: [MM/DD/YYYY] “This product was produced in a home kitchen not inspected by a health department that may also process common food allergens. If you have safety concerns, contact your local health department.”
Sources: Food Labeling and Placards · Labeling
Allowed foods cheat sheet (high-level)
The allowed list has expanded over time. Use UI Extension as the source of truth, and confirm locally if you’re unsure.
Historically (2012 law)
UI Extension describes the original law as being limited to non-potentially hazardous baked goods, jams/jellies/preserves, and dried herbs — sold direct to the public at Illinois farmers markets.
Expanded (2018 + 2021 changes)
UI Extension notes the law expanded to include items such as chilled foods, canned tomato products, pickles, and more.
What this means in practice
- Don’t rely on memory — verify your exact product type on the Extension pages.
- If you’re doing anything that looks like cold holding, canning, pickling, acidified foods, etc., confirm with your local health department.
- If you can’t find your exact product: pause, ask locally, and keep a paper trail.
Start here: extension.illinois.edu/cottage-food
Local health department lookup
Cottage food is local. Fastest path is usually: call the right office, ask the right questions.
Fast lookup
Search your county/city + “health department cottage food”.
Official directory: IDPH Local Health Departments (directory)
What to ask when you call
- Do I need to register as a cottage food operation in this jurisdiction?
- Do you require CFPM supervision for what I’m making/selling?
- Do you have a preferred label format or any extra required language?
- Are there venue restrictions (farmers market vs. online vs. pickup)?
CFPM info: IDPH CFPM/FSSMC
Help us make this accurate
If you drop the links you trust, we’ll pin the exact statutes + official PDFs and keep this page clean.
Send:
- Your county (or counties you care about)
- The official cottage food guidance PDF you want us to cite
- Any required label language you’ve been told to use