Dairy

How to label ice cream to sell

Frozen desserts are labeled by volume, not weight, which trips up nearly every new maker. A pint is a measure of how much is in the tub, and the FDA has a standard of identity that decides whether you may call it ice cream at all.

What ice cream labels get wrong

Ice cream is a volume product. Declare net contents in fluid ounces with the metric equivalent, and note that a “pint” container is 16 fl oz.
The name is regulated. Under 21 CFR 135.110, ice cream needs at least 10 percent milkfat. Below that it is a frozen dairy dessert and must say so.
Milk and egg are almost always present, and mix-ins bring their own: cookie dough is wheat and soy, nut brittle is tree nuts, cheesecake swirl is more milk.
Overrun means two tubs of identical volume can differ in weight. That is exactly why the FDA puts frozen desserts on a volume basis.
Many cottage programs exclude frozen dairy entirely because it needs refrigeration. Check your state before you print anything.

Serving size

Ice cream, gelato and frozen desserts use an 88 g RACC, about two thirds of a cup. See the RACC lookup for how the FDA sets serving sizes.

Make your ice cream label

The builder below is loaded with the sample ice cream recipe. Swap in your own ingredients and amounts, pick your state, and export: the ingredient statement orders itself by weight, the Big-9 allergens are detected including the ones hiding in sub-ingredients, and your state's home-kitchen disclosure is added at the size it requires. Scaling into retail? The nutrition label maker computes the FDA panel from the same recipe for $9.

Edit this recipe below FDA Nutrition Facts panel ($9)

Make your ice cream label

Loaded with the sample recipe above. Change anything; the label on the right rebuilds as you type.

Product name

This is your statement of identity, so use the common name of the food (“Strawberry Rhubarb Jam”). A brand name alone only works when it is obvious what the food is (21 CFR 101.3(b)).

Business name

Business address

IngredientsAuto-ordered by weight

Group minor ingredients at the end

Using a packaged product? Tap on its row to pull the sub-ingredients off the label automatically. Or type them yourself in parentheses, like “Chocolate Chips (Sugar, Cocoa, Cocoa Butter)”.

Allergens (FDA Big 9)

Auto-detected from your ingredients. Tap to add or remove. Always double-check.

This reads your ingredient list only. It cannot know what else your kitchen handles — a shared mixer, flour in the air, one fryer for two products. If an allergen you do not use could still reach this food, that is a “may contain” decision only you can make; it is voluntary, and it never substitutes for declaring an allergen you actually use.

Your state

Net weight

UPC barcode (optional)

This is unpasteurized juice or ciderAdds the exact warning 21 CFR 101.17(g) requires, bolded and boxed as (g)(5) and (g)(6) prescribe.

Package shape and size

Optional, but it sets how large the net weight has to print. 21 CFR 101.1 measures the principal display panel differently for each shape.

Live preview

Free

Your Product Name

INGREDIENTS: List your ingredients to auto-order them by weight.

Made in a home kitchen.

Label made with Panelry · getpanelry.com/label

Add product name, business name, business address, at least one ingredient, your state, net weight to export a complete label.

Need a Nutrition Facts panel too?

Most home makers are exempt from nutrition labeling under the FDA's small-seller exemption, but it holds only while the label, the listing and your ads carry no nutrition claim or nutrition information at all. One “low sugar” or “high protein” anywhere, including an online listing, and the food needs a full panel (21 CFR 101.9(j)(1)). Panelry builds one from this same recipe: your ingredients and weights carry over, and you match each to a USDA food.

Build your Nutrition Facts panel

Where this goes on the package

The name of the food and the net weight belong on the principal display panel — the face a shopper sees (21 CFR 101.3(a), 101.7(a)). The net weight goes in the bottom 30 percent of that face, unless the face is 5 square inches or smaller (21 CFR 101.7(f)).The ingredient list, allergen statement, your name and address and any nutrition panel may go on that same face or on the information panel — the part of the label immediately to the right of it as the buyer faces the package. If that part is unusable, such as a folded flap or a can end, use the next panel to the right; if the lid is the face, any adjacent panel works (21 CFR 101.2(a), (b)).Wherever they go, they have to appear in one place with nothing in between — no artwork, marketing copy or barcode running between the ingredient list and the address (21 CFR 101.2(e)).

Verify before selling

Cottage-food rules vary by state and change often. Confirm your label against your state's current requirements. Panelry is not legal advice.

Ice Cream labeling FAQ

How do I write the net weight on an ice cream label?

You do not use net weight. Frozen desserts are packed by volume, so the statement is net contents in fluid ounces with the metric equivalent, for example “NET 16 FL OZ (473 mL).” Putting ounces by weight on a pint of ice cream is one of the most common label errors we see.

Can I call my product ice cream?

Only if it meets the FDA standard of identity: at least 10 percent milkfat and at least 4.5 pounds per gallon. A lighter or dairy-free recipe has to be named something else, such as frozen dessert or non-dairy frozen dessert.

More product labeling guides

Verify before selling

Product rules vary by state (especially for ice cream) and change over time. Confirm with your state's program and official sources. Panelry is not affiliated with any government agency and does not provide legal advice. See our disclaimer.