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Cottage Food Disclaimer

Corner Loaf — Cottage Food Disclaimer and Baker Attestation

Effective date: 2026-05-22 Last updated: 2026-05-22

This document explains how Corner Loaf treats cottage food sales, what bakers attest to before listing, and what customers should understand when ordering. It supplements the Terms of Service and the Privacy Policy.

1. What cottage food law is

"Cottage food" laws — sometimes called "home-baking" or "home-kitchen" laws — allow individuals to make certain foods in their home kitchen (rather than a commercially licensed facility) and sell them directly to consumers, subject to limits.

Every U.S. state has its own cottage food law, and these laws change often. They differ on:

  • Allowed product categories. Most states permit breads, cookies, jams, and similar low-risk shelf-stable goods. Some permit pickles, candies, and dried herbs; many prohibit anything requiring refrigeration (cheesecakes, custards, cream-cheese frostings, fresh meat).
  • Revenue caps. Some states cap annual gross sales (often somewhere between $25,000 and $250,000); others have no cap at all.
  • Mandatory training. Some states require a food-handler or food-safety course as a condition of selling, even where no license or inspection is required.
  • Labeling. Most states require the product name, ingredients in descending order, net weight, the baker's name and address (or a state-issued ID number where offered), a major-allergen declaration (milk, eggs, fish, shellfish, tree nuts, peanuts, wheat, soybeans, sesame), and a "produced in a home kitchen not inspected by [state department]"-style disclaimer in a specific font size.
  • Sales channels. Some states permit only direct sales to the end consumer. Some prohibit online order intake entirely. Some prohibit shipping or delivery, or permit in-state shipping only. Some require sales-tax registration. Some require a permit, training course, or kitchen inspection above a revenue threshold.

Florida ("FL DR-1"), Texas ("Texas Cottage Food Production Operation"), Georgia (rewritten by HB 398, effective July 1, 2025), California ("Class A" and "Class B" Cottage Food Operations), and others all have their own specifics, and those specifics are amended regularly. The platform does not summarize or interpret state law. Bakers are responsible for finding and following their own state's current rules.

2. What Corner Loaf does and does not do

Corner Loaf is a listing and discovery platform. It connects bakers with nearby customers. Corner Loaf:

  • ✅ Lets bakers describe what they make.
  • ✅ Lets customers find and reserve those goods.
  • ✅ Provides a structured place for bakers to disclose ingredients, allergens, pickup details, and policies.
  • ✅ Records each baker's operating state and routes the baker to that state's official cottage food authority during onboarding.
  • ❌ Does not verify that a baker's state allows the products they list.
  • ❌ Does not verify that a baker labels products correctly.
  • ❌ Does not verify that a baker's annual revenue is under their state's cap (where one exists).
  • ❌ Does not verify that a baker has obtained a required permit, taken a required food-safety course, or completed any required inspection.
  • ❌ Does not interpret or give advice on any state's cottage food, labeling, sales-channel, or tax law. The official-resource link shown during onboarding is provided for the baker's convenience only.
  • ❌ Does not register, file, or collect sales tax on a baker's behalf.
  • ❌ Does not inspect any kitchen.
  • ❌ Does not transport, store, or deliver any food.

Bakers are independent operators, not employees, agents, partners, or franchisees of HMB Software LLC, the operator of Corner Loaf.

3. Baker attestation

Corner Loaf is available to bakers in all U.S. states. Because cottage food law is set state by state, the platform records each baker's operating state and ties the baker's attestation to it. Before a baker can list any item, the baker completes the following onboarding flow, and the platform records each step with a timestamp, the baker's selected state, and the version of the attestation text shown.

3.1 How the attestation is collected

  1. Operating state (required). The baker selects their operating state before any listing path becomes available. No item can be created until a state is on record.
  2. State-resource confirmation. The baker is shown a link to their own state's official cottage food authority and must confirm they have reviewed their state's requirements at that link before continuing. The platform shows the official link only; it does not summarize or interpret the law.
  3. Per-item acknowledgment. Each attestation item below is presented as a separate acknowledgment with its full text visible. The baker must acknowledge each one individually; the "Publish" action remains disabled until all are acknowledged.
  4. Re-attestation on change. If the baker changes their operating state, or if the attestation text is updated, the baker must complete the attestation again before publishing or modifying listings. Prior attestation records are retained, not overwritten.

3.2 The Cottage Food Attestation

By proceeding, I confirm that:

  1. I know my state's cottage food law. I have read, understand, and will comply with my own state's cottage food (or equivalent home-kitchen) law, including: - the product categories my state allows, - the annual revenue cap, if my state has one, - any mandatory food-safety or food-handler training my state requires, - the labeling requirements (product name, ingredients in descending order, net weight, my name and address or state-issued ID, major-allergen declaration, and any "home kitchen not inspected" disclaimer in the form and font size my state requires), - any permits or kitchen inspections my state requires at the volume I operate at, and - any sales-channel restrictions my state imposes (e.g., direct sale only, no online intake, no shipping, in-state shipping only, no third-party delivery).
  2. I am the maker. All items I list are made by me (or my household, where my state allows it) in my own home kitchen, not in a commercial facility or by a third party I am reselling for.
  3. I will not list prohibited products. I will not list any item my state does not permit as cottage food.
  4. I will label correctly. Every product I hand off to a customer will carry the label my state requires, including a major-allergen declaration.
  5. I will accurately describe allergens. The ingredients, allergens, and "allergens this kitchen handles" tags I enter into Corner Loaf will be accurate. I understand that customers may have life-threatening allergies and will treat allergen questions seriously.
  6. I will not exceed my state's revenue cap. If my state imposes a cap and I approach it, I will pause listings and pursue commercial licensing rather than continue selling as cottage food.
  7. I have completed any required training. Where my state requires a food-safety or food-handler course as a condition of selling, I have completed it and can document completion.
  8. I confirm my sales channel is permitted. I confirm that my state permits me to accept orders or reservations online, and to hand off, ship, or deliver my products in the manner I intend. I understand that some states prohibit online order intake or restrict shipping and delivery, and that using Corner Loaf to take reservations does not by itself make my sales channel lawful in my state. Confirming this is my responsibility.
  9. I am responsible for sales tax. I am responsible for collecting, filing, and remitting any sales or use tax my state imposes on my sales. Corner Loaf does not collect or remit sales tax on my behalf.
  10. I will not misrepresent my operation. I will not claim my kitchen is "inspected," "licensed," "commercial," "FDA-approved," or "USDA-approved" unless that is actually true and I can document it.
  11. I will handle food safely. I will follow safe food-handling practices, including hand washing, surface sanitation, allergen separation where I claim it, and refrigeration of any product that requires it. I understand that food-borne illness or allergen contamination is a serious risk and is my responsibility, not Corner Loaf's.
  12. Corner Loaf doesn't verify any of this. I understand that Corner Loaf relies on this attestation and does not verify state-specific compliance, and that any official-resource link the platform showed me is for my convenience and is not legal advice. I, not Corner Loaf, am responsible for everything in this list.
  13. I will indemnify Corner Loaf for my own violations. Per the Terms of Service, I agree to defend, indemnify, and hold harmless HMB Software LLC for claims arising out of my failure to comply with cottage food, food-safety, labeling, tax, or other applicable law, and for any bodily injury, illness, or property damage arising from items I produced or sold.
  14. I agree to the Corner Loaf Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.

A baker who is unwilling or unable to make every acknowledgment above must not list items on Corner Loaf.

4. What customers should understand

When you place your first reservation on Corner Loaf, you are asked to acknowledge that the items are made in a home kitchen that is not inspected, and that Corner Loaf does not verify any baker's compliance or allergen handling. A reservation cannot be completed until that acknowledgment is given. Specifically, you should understand:

  • The item was made in a home kitchen, not a commercially licensed and inspected facility.
  • The platform does not verify any baker's compliance with state law, labeling, or food-safety practices.
  • If you have an allergy, ask the baker directly before reserving and confirm whether their kitchen handles the allergen at all. The "allergens this kitchen handles" tag on a baker's storefront is baker self-attestation and is not verified by Corner Loaf.
  • You pay the baker directly at handoff. Corner Loaf does not process payments for orders and does not handle refunds or chargebacks.
  • The contract for any item you reserve is between you and the baker — not with HMB Software LLC.

If you are not comfortable with any of the above, please don't place orders through Corner Loaf.

5. Allergen disclosure

Bakers can:

  • mark major allergens present in a specific item (milk, eggs, fish, shellfish, tree nuts, peanuts, wheat, soybeans, sesame), and
  • mark "allergens this kitchen handles" at the baker level (the kitchen has these allergens present somewhere, even if the specific item doesn't list them).

Both fields are baker-provided and reflect the baker's good-faith disclosure. Corner Loaf does not verify their accuracy. Severe allergies should always be confirmed by direct conversation with the baker before pickup.

If you have a life-threatening food allergy, do not rely solely on the in-app allergen disclosure. Verify with the baker.

6. State law overrides

Nothing in this document overrides any consumer-protection, food-safety, cottage-food, labeling, or tax law of any state, county, or municipality. If a baker's local law imposes a stricter standard than this document, the local law controls.

7. Contact

  • General support: support@cornerloaf.com
  • Compliance questions from bakers or regulators: compliance@cornerloaf.com
  • Privacy / data requests: privacy@cornerloaf.com