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Selling homemade food in Hawaii means your label has to follow the Homemade Food Products / Homemade Food Operations, Hawaii Administrative Rules (HAR) Chapter 11-50 (Food Safety Code), §11-50-3(c) (food-establishment permit exemption) and §11-50-35(c)(4) (labeling), administered by the Hawaii Department of Health, Food Safety Branch. Here is exactly what that label must show in 2026 — the required fields, the allergen rule, and the verbatim disclaimer and its font size — sourced to the statute and dated.
Print this statement on the label, word for word:
Verbatim wording is fixed by statute at HAR §11-50-35(c)(4)(A) and must appear on the label exactly as quoted; the statute carries no trailing period (the DOH sample label shows one, which is not required). HAR Chapter 11-50 prescribes NO minimum font/type size for the disclaimer or any other HMF label element — confirm legible presentation with the DOH Food Safety Branch. The only 'lettering no smaller than one inch in height' requirement in Chapter 11-50 is at §11-50-3(a)(5) and applies to SIGNAGE posted at the entrance of a home kitchen operated by a child-care/adult-care/bed-and-breakfast provider — it does NOT apply to homemade-food product labels. A SEPARATE mandated disclaimer applies only to hand-pounded poi (HAR §11-50-35(c)(5)(A): "This hand-pounded poi was prepared in a facility not inspected by the Department of Health") — do not use it for ordinary homemade food. No permit or registration number is issued (HMF is exempt from the food-establishment permit under §11-50-3(c)), so none appears on the label.
Hawaii has no fee and no permit for homemade food (HMF) — it is a pure statutory EXEMPTION from the food-establishment permit under HAR §11-50-3(c), not a registration program, so nothing is filed and no number goes on the label. The single hard requirement most people miss is the DOH food-safety certification: unlike most exemption states, Hawaii requires every HMF operator to complete food-handler/manager training (a DOH course or any ANSI-accredited course) BEFORE selling.
HAR §11-50-35(c)(4)(A) fixes it exactly: "Made in a home kitchen not routinely inspected by the Department of Health." Do not shorten it to "Made in a home kitchen" or swap in another state's "...not subject to state inspection" — Hawaii's clause specifically says "not routinely inspected by the Department of Health." The statute has no trailing period.
HAR §11-50-35(c)(5)(A) gives hand-pounded poi its OWN mandated statement ("This hand-pounded poi was prepared in a facility not inspected by the Department of Health"). It reads differently and applies only to poi — using it on jams, baked goods, or salsa is non-compliant.
The DOH lists nine major allergens: milk, eggs, fish, shellfish, tree nuts, peanuts, wheat, soybeans, and sesame. A label listing only the old "big 8" is out of date for HI.
Only foods needing no time/temperature control qualify: jams/jellies, breads and baked goods without custard or cream fillings, plant-only pickles/kimchi/salsa (pH ≤ 4.2 or Aw < 0.88; salsa with cut tomatoes held at 41°F or below), and juice sold direct to consumer. No dried meats/jerky, dried seafood, or melon-family fruits; no vacuum packaging; no canning except jams & jellies.
Timeline: Immediate — no application, waiting period, or approval. You may sell as soon as you have completed the required food-safety training and your labels are compliant.
Cost: $0 — no permit or registration required (HMF is exempt). The only cost is the mandatory food-safety certification: DOH-run in-person classes are offered free; ANSI-accredited online food-handler/manager courses typically run about $10–$15 if you choose that route.
Cottage food laws get revised, and a new disclaimer or font size can quietly make your label non-compliant. Leave your email and we'll write to you only when Hawaii's cottage food label rules change. Nothing else, ever — and you can unsubscribe from any message.
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Make my Hawaii label →Hawaii requires this exact statement on a cottage food label: “Made in a home kitchen not routinely inspected by the Department of Health.” The state sets no minimum point size for it.
No. Hawaii does not require a permit or registration number printed on the label.
At minimum: product name — the common name of the food; your business / producer name; the address of the cottage food operation; a complete ingredient list, in descending order by weight (sub-ingredients included); an allergen declaration — the 9 major FDA allergens, in the ingredient list or a “Contains:” line; net weight, in US customary and metric units; the state's required disclaimer (see below).
No. CottageCompliance gives general information based on each state's published rules, dated to when we last verified them. Always confirm with your state or local agency before selling.
Source: HAR §11-50-35(c)(4) and §11-50-3(c) (HAR Chapter 11-50, searchable text, comp. Aug 24 2025): https://health.hawaii.gov/san/files/2025/09/HAR-11-50-2025-searchable.pdf ; Hawaii DOH Food Safety Branch, "Homemade Food Products" handout (rev. 01.29.2026): https://health.hawaii.gov/san/files/2019/09/hmf-foods-01.29.2026.pdf ; Food Safety Branch home: https://health.hawaii.gov/san/ Verified 2026-08-10. General information, not legal advice — confirm with your state or local agency before selling.