If you want to sell food on Amazon, there are some guidelines to follow. We would like to present these to you in this article. First, we will go into the regulations of the EU and those of the individual countries. In addition, we will inform you about what you need to consider when you create Amazon listings for food. After that, we'll go into some of the limitations of FBA shipping. In addition, we talk about the preparation and packaging of products, as well as organic certification. You can also find all the information in a longer version in Seller Central.
The EU wants to ensure through its guidelines for food that all products are of high quality and that hygiene regulations are observed. Accordingly, the health of both humans and animals should be protected in the best possible way. Consequently, all food must be properly labeled. There are also mandatory programs for deposit or recycling. In the different countries of the EU, you must in turn additionally observe the internal guidelines.
When you create an Amazon listing for food, you must make sure to assign it to the "Food" category. Dietary supplements are an exception, as they fall under "Drugstore & Personal Care". You should also take a close look at the expiration date guidelines beforehand.
For perishable products, you must make sure to add the note "is-expiration-dated-product" to the respective ASIN. In addition, you need to label the units. For this purpose you have to use the FBA product label. You attach this above the barcode. In addition, the expiration date must be uncovered and legible. If you need help with labeling, you can use Amazon's labeling service. You can find more information in this post.
If you want to sell food on Amazon that is labeled "organic", it must have organic certification. This is subject to some changes since 2021. However, products that have been sold before are not affected. General guidelines are that the attribute "item_name" must contain the word "Organic". "Specialty" must also be labeled as "organic." On delivery bills, organic products are listed individually. Organic products must also originate from a country within the EU.
Sellers who use FBA shipping must additionally observe a few things: Firstly, you must always comply with regulations regarding safety and labeling, and this applies to both the EU and the country of sale. You are also not allowed to ship chocolate between May and October. Exceptions apply only to items that do not deform even at higher temperatures. You must also monitor the stock yourself. If you need help with this, we can recommend Helium 10 Inventory Protector. For example, you can use the tool to order new goods and check the existing stock. Moreover, it is extremely easy to use. You can find more information in this article. In addition to the restriction for chocolate, you should note that food that is easily damaged either must not be shipped or requires special packaging. Furthermore, the expiration date must still be valid for at least 90 days when shipping FBA. Otherwise, Amazon may dispose of your goods.
For sellers in Germany, it is important that food must always be delivered to Koblenz, Leipzig or Graben to the logistics centers there. The packaging must also indicate that it contains food. Food must also be delivered at a temperature of less than 30 degrees and separated from other items on separate pallets. Amazon generally rejects items that are leaking, clearly damaged, smell rotten or are infested with pests.
These were the most important guidelines you should know when selling food on Amazon. Do you have any general questions about selling online? Then feel free to contact us. We are always ready to help and advise you. Feel free to send us a message - without any obligation, of course.
MadeByBrain - Amazon Seller Agency
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