EU Food to Amazon US
Link works until 28 Nov 2026.Download PDF
Spain → USA · coffee, canned pet food and skincare · prepared for the call 2026-10-29

EU Food to Amazon US

The FDA does not approve food, labels or shipments before import. At the border it checks three things: the maker is registered, the shipment was announced, and a US importer vouches for the supplier. Amazon then checks labels and shelf life at the warehouse.

CHECK 1 · ONE TIME

Facility registration

The maker registers its factory with the FDA. It's free and renews every two years.

CHECK 2 · EVERY SHIPMENT

Prior Notice

Someone tells the FDA what is arriving, from whom, and when, before it lands.

CHECK 3 · ONE TIME + KEPT UP

FSVP importer

A US-based importer keeps a file showing the supplier makes safe food.

The route map: food vs skincare

factory → border → FBA
Cafes CornellaMr BonesSkincareSame for both food brandsOpen questionNot needed
Cafes Cornella · coffee
Mr Bones · canned dog food
Skincare · cosmetics
Set up onceRegister the makerFDA · free
The roaster registers. Renew for 2026.
The cannery registers. Renew for 2026.
Name the US importercustoms + FDA
EIN, a customs broker and a bond. Plus an FSVP importer: the US owner, or a US agent.
EIN, a customs broker and a bond.
Build the FSVP fileimporter keeps it
Human food file.
Animal food file.
US labelmaker prints
English and US units. Plain coffee needs no Nutrition Facts.
⚠️ Pet-food label rules. Confirm before printing.
English ingredient list, net quantity, maker or seller name and address.
Amazon approvalSeller Central
Grocery approval.
Pet food category. Hazmat and "contains liquid" check.
Beauty listing. No "treats" or "cures" words, or the bots suppress it.
Every shipmentPrior Noticebroker files it
Filed before arrival: sea 8 h · air 4 h · road 2 h.
US borderFDA + customs check
Clear customsbroker
The entry lists the FSVP importer's name, email and DUNS.
The entry declares each item with its FDA product code (lotion, cream, soap) and the maker's name.
At AmazonFBA check-inexpiry date on every unit
270+ days of shelf life left.
Plan for 540 days of shelf life.
If it has an expiry date, print it on every unit.
Selling
Live on Amazon US.

Skincare lane = how we import cosmetics today: no FDA registration, just the FDA product code on each customs line. ⚠️ Not checked here: whether the maker must list products with the FDA under the 2022 cosmetics law (MoCRA). Small makers (under $1M a year) are exempt.

Set up once, before the first order

steps 1-5

  1. The maker registers with the FDA

    • The roaster (coffee) or the cannery (dog food) registers, not the reseller. Pet food counts as food.
    • A foreign factory must name a US agent who is physically in the US, plus a DUNS number.
    • $0 FDA fee. There is no certificate. "FDA certificate" sellers are not official.
    • Renewal runs 1 Oct to 31 Dec of even years. The 2026 window is open now and closes 31 Dec 2026.
    MakerAsk: "What's your FDA registration number, and is it renewed for 2026?"

  2. Decide who the importer is

    • Customs importer of record: his company can do this with an EIN, a US customs broker and a customs bond.
    • FSVP importer (FDA): the US owner or consignee of the food when it arrives.
    • With no US owner or consignee at entry, a US agent takes the role. The agent signs a written consent before the food arrives.
    • The FSVP importer's name, email and DUNS go on every customs line. A DUNS number is free from Dun & Bradstreet.
    MaartenUS agent / US entityAn EU company alone is not a US owner: plan for an agent

  3. Build the FSVP file

    • The file holds: the hazards for this food, a review of the supplier, a check that the supplier controls those hazards, fixes when something fails, and records.
    • Very small importer (under $1M a year in food): written assurances from the supplier can replace the full hazard analysis.
    • The same rule covers food for animals, so Mr Bones is included.
    FSVP importerMaker supplies documents

  4. Make the label US-ready

    • English. If any other language appears, every required statement must appear in both.
    • Net quantity in metric and US units (for example "Net wt 8.8 oz (250 g)").
    • Nutrition Facts. Plain whole or ground coffee is exempt if the label makes no nutrition claim.
    • The 9 major allergens, a "manufactured for / distributed by" name and address, and the country of origin.
    • No FDA logo and no "FDA approved" wording, anywhere.
    Maker printsDog food: US pet-food labels follow extra state feed rules (not covered here). Confirm before printing.

  5. Get approved on Amazon

    • Grocery: Add Products → Apply to sell. Have invoices dated within 180 days and photos of all sides. Review takes 2-7 business days.
    • On each ASIN, set "Is expiration dated product", the expiration type and the shelf life.
    • Canned wet food: run the ASIN through the hazmat check, and answer the "contains liquid" field truthfully.
    MaartenAmazon

Do every shipment

steps A-C

  1. File the Prior Notice

    • One per shipment, and one per food item. You can't add an item to a notice already filed.
    • Deadline before arrival at the port: road 2 h · rail 4 h · air 4 h · sea 8 h. Filed up to 30 days ahead (ACE) or 15 days ahead (FDA PNSI).
    • It carries the FDA product code, the maker's name, registration number and city, the shipper, the carrier, and the importer.
    • The FDA charges $0. A broker may charge for filing it.
    Broker or forwarder filesMaker gives reg. number

  2. Clear customs

    • The broker files the entry: commercial invoice, HS codes, importer of record, bond, and the FDA product code on each line.
    • The FSVP importer's name, email and DUNS go on each food line.
    Customs broker

  3. Arrive at FBA with enough shelf life

    • Minimum days left at check-in (Amazon's table): coffee 270 · pet food 180 · canned food 540.
    • Print a date on every unit and on the outer box. Use MM-DD-YYYY. Each box holds one ASIN with one expiry date.
    • Lot numbers alone are not enough. "Best by" counts as an expiry date.
    MaartenCanned dog food can fall under both pet food (180) and canned food (540). Plan for 540 until Amazon confirms.

What stops a shipment at the border

Not legal advice. The rules were checked against the FDA eCFR text (21 CFR 1.225-1.232, 1.277-1.283, 1.500-1.512, 101.9, 101.15) and Amazon help pages G201511970, G200164550, G200333160 and G201003420 on 2026-10-07. Confirm who the importer is, and the pet-food label, with the customs broker before the first shipment.

Brand Direct · prepared by Sean's AI assistant from the 2026-10-07 FDA research brief.