Net Weight Labeling for Cottage Food

What Is Net Weight?

Net weight is the weight of the food product itself — not including the weight of the container, packaging, or wrapping. If your cookies weigh 8 oz total but the bag and label weigh 0.5 oz, your net weight is 7.5 oz.

How to Measure Net Weight

• Weigh your packaging empty (bag, jar, container, label) — this is the tare weight
• Weigh the filled, sealed product
• Subtract: filled weight — tare = net weight
• Use a kitchen scale accurate to at least 0.1 oz (0.5g) for small items

The Dual-Unit Requirement

FDA regulations require net weight to be expressed in both US customary units (oz, fl oz, lb) and metric units (g, mL, kg) for most packaged food. Cottage food is generally subject to this requirement. Format examples:

• "Net Wt. 8 oz (227g)"
• "Net Wt. 1 lb 2 oz (510g)"
• "Net Contents 12 fl oz (355 mL)"

Placement on the Label

The net weight declaration should appear in the bottom third of the principal display panel (the front of the label) in a type size proportional to the label size. FDA guidelines specify minimum type sizes based on label area — for most cottage food labels, 6-8pt minimum is appropriate for net weight.

Common Mistakes

• Including container weight in the net weight declaration
• Stating a round number without measuring (if you say "Net Wt. 12 oz," it should actually weigh 12 oz)
• Missing the metric unit
• Using abbreviations not in FDA format ("oz." is correct; "ozs" is not)