How to Label Food for Wholesale

The first wholesale order feels like a promotion, and it comes with a heavier label. Selling to a store for resale moves you out of cottage food and into full food labeling. Here is what a buyer will expect on the package.

Build my label free

Do you need a Nutrition Facts panel wholesale?

Panel usually required

Selling to a store for resale moves you out of cottage food and into full food labeling. A Nutrition Facts panel is generally required, along with the ingredient list, allergen statement, net weight, and business information. Retail buyers usually also want a UPC barcode and a product spec sheet.

Nutripane builds the Nutrition Facts panel and the ingredient, allergen, and disclaimer label from your recipe, so you are ready whether this channel needs the panel or not.

What your label needs to sell wholesale

✓Product name. The common name of the food, so a buyer knows what it is.
✓Net quantity. The weight or count in the package, usually shown on the front.
✓Ingredient list. Every ingredient, listed heaviest-first by weight.
✓Allergen statement. A Contains line for any of the nine major allergens in your recipe.
✓Business name and address. Who made the food and where they can be reached.
✓Home-kitchen disclaimer. The cottage food sentence your state requires, for direct sales.

What is different when you sell wholesale

✓ A Nutrition Facts panel on every retail unit
✓ A UPC or GTIN barcode for scanning
✓ A spec sheet with ingredients, allergens, shelf life, and case pack

One thing sellers miss selling wholesale

Wholesale is where the panel stops being optional. A buyer will ask for it up front, so build the Nutrition Facts panel before you pitch, not after they say yes.

Popular foods to sell wholesale

Granola Roasted Coffee Spice Blends Chocolate

Questions

Do I need a nutrition label to sell food wholesale?

Usually yes. Selling to stores for resale falls outside cottage food exemptions, so a Nutrition Facts panel is generally required, along with the ingredient list, allergen statement, net weight, and business information. Retailers often also want a UPC barcode. Nutripane builds the panel from your recipe.

What do stores ask for besides a label?

Beyond the Nutrition Facts panel and a complete ingredient and allergen statement, most retail buyers want a UPC or GTIN barcode, a spec sheet listing shelf life and case pack, and sometimes liability insurance. Confirm each buyer's requirements before you deliver.

Selling somewhere else?

Farmers Markets Craft Fairs Bake Sales Farm Stands Pop-Up Shops Online Amazon Etsy Across State Lines Grocery Stores Restaurants

This page is general information, not legal advice. Food labeling, cottage food rules, and marketplace policies vary by state and change over time. Confirm current requirements with your state's cottage food program and the place you plan to sell. See your state's rules or another channel.