How to Ship Food Internationally: Complete Guide

These categories are generally accepted by most countries (verify destination rules):

• Commercially packaged candy and chocolate - Factory sealed, clearly labeled, no cream fillings for some countries.
• Shelf-stable snacks - Chips, crackers, cookies, granola bars in original sealed packaging.
• Coffee and tea - Roasted coffee beans, ground coffee, packaged tea. Green/raw coffee beans may be restricted.
• Sealed sauces and condiments - Hot sauce, BBQ sauce, ketchup—commercially bottled and sealed.
• Dried pasta and grains - Rice, pasta, flour, cereals in sealed packages.
• Spices and seasonings - Dried, packaged spices. Some countries restrict certain herbs.
• Canned goods - Commercially canned vegetables, soups, beans. No home-canned items.

These items are banned or heavily restricted by most countries due to biosecurity and health concerns:

• Meat and meat products - Fresh, frozen, dried, cured—including jerky, salami, bacon, ham. Even commercially packaged meat snacks are banned in many countries.
• Dairy products - Fresh milk, cheese, butter, yogurt. Some countries allow commercially sealed, shelf-stable items like powdered milk.
• Fresh fruits and vegetables - Almost universally banned due to pest and disease concerns. Includes dried fruits in some countries.
• Eggs and egg products - Fresh and processed egg products restricted.
• Seeds, nuts in shells, raw plants - Biosecurity concern. Processed, roasted nuts usually OK; raw seeds/plants banned.
• Homemade or home-packaged food - Must be commercially packaged with ingredient labels. No home-baked goods, home-canned items, or repackaged foods.

These destinations have the toughest food import rules:

• Australia - Extremely strict biosecurity. Bans most food including many commercially packaged items. Undeclared food = fines up to $420,000 AUD. When in doubt, don't ship food to Australia.
• New Zealand - Similar to Australia. Strict on anything that could carry pests or diseases. Heavy fines for violations.
• Japan - Bans most meat products, many processed foods. Requires detailed labeling in Japanese for commercial imports. Strict inspection.
• South Korea - Restrictions on meat, fruit, vegetables. Requires inspection certificates for many food items.
• Singapore - Requires licenses for many food imports. Personal shipments face inspection.
• European Union - Bans many foods from non-EU countries. Meat/dairy generally prohibited from US. Strict on GMO products.