Selling Food & Beverage on Amazon Germany

All food products sold on Amazon.de must comply with EU Food Information to Consumers Regulation (EU 1169/2011). Required information: product name, ingredient list in descending weight order, allergen declarations (14 major allergens — must be emphasised in ingredient list), net quantity, best before / use by date, storage conditions, name and address of food business operator established in the EU, country of origin (for certain product categories), and nutrition declaration (mandatory for most packaged foods).

All information must be in German. English-only packaging is not permitted.

EU Novel Food Regulation (EU 2015/2283) restricts the sale of food ingredients that were not significantly consumed in the EU before 15 May 1997. Many trending functional ingredients in international food and beverage products are classified as Novel Foods in the EU, including: certain CBD forms, chia seeds (since approved but historically novel), various adaptogenic herbs, algae-derived proteins, and some botanical extracts. Selling a product containing an unapproved Novel Food ingredient on Amazon.de violates EU food law. Amazon enforces this — ASIN suppression is common.

EU Regulation 1924/2006 (Health Claims Regulation) restricts what nutrition and health claims can be made on food product listings. Only claims from the EU Authorised Claims Register are permitted. German enforcement is particularly active — competitors in Germany use unauthorised claims as grounds for injunctions (Abmahnung). Review every listing claim against the EFSA-approved register before going live.

To use 'Bio' (organic) or 'Organic' claims on Amazon.de and in Germany generally, your product must be certified under EU Organic Regulation 2018/848. Certification must be by an EU-recognised control body. US USDA Organic certification is not recognised in the EU for labelling purposes. If you have USDA Organic, you cannot call your product 'Bio' on German listings without EU-equivalent certification. The EU-US organic equivalency agreement covers some product categories — check if your product qualifies.

Importing food to Amazon Germany FBA requires: (1) EU Food Business Operator (FBO) registration — an EU establishment responsible for the products. (2) Customs import with correct food-specific commodity codes. (3) Compliance with EU border control checks (BCP checks) for products of animal origin or certain plant products. (4) TRACES-NT pre-notification for animal products. (5) German import VAT (7% for most food, 19% for some beverages). (6) Shelf life must be sufficient at point of FBA receipt — Amazon typically requires minimum 6 months remaining shelf life.