Quality & documentation
Kitchenware for the United States
Selling kitchenware into the United States means FDA food-contact rules for each material, country-of-origin marking on every article, and an import route that changed when the $800 de minimis exemption was suspended.
The framework
The FDA does not issue a single approval for a finished kitchen tool. It assesses each substance: "the overall regulatory status of a food contact material is dictated by the regulatory status of each individual substance that comprises the article". The practical question for each component is whether its material is permitted for the intended use under 21 CFR.
For silicone and rubber parts intended for repeated use, 21 CFR 177.2600 sets extractives limits, for aqueous foods "total extractives not to exceed 20 milligrams per square inch during the first 7 hours of extraction". Plain stainless steel usually resolves quickly; polymers, coatings and colourants need more care.
What this means for kitchenware
- Origin marking: 19 CFR 134.11 requires every imported article or its container to be marked "in a conspicuous place as legibly, indelibly, and permanently" as it allows. Agree whether the mark is etched, printed or on the pack before tooling.
- Low-value shipments: US Customs and Border Protection states the de minimis suspension "applies to merchandise valued at $800 or less arriving via all modes". Model duty and entry costs into small or sample shipments.
- Buyer requirements: retailers and marketplaces often ask for test reports beyond the legal minimum, and some states have their own chemical rules. Ask your buyer for their checklist early.
What to send us
- The product reference and sample version, or a drawing number and revision.
- Every component that touches food, with its material: stainless grade, polymer, silicone, wood, coating or decoration.
- The foods it will meet and the conditions: temperature, contact time, repeated or single use, dishwasher or hand wash.
- The country of sale and the sales channel, plus your buyer's document checklist if they have one.
- Whether the request covers the current configuration or a proposed change.
We prepare the brief with you and confirm which reports and declarations exist for the configuration, which need commissioning, and how long testing takes.
Keep documents connected
When materials, finishes, colours or use claims change, check whether earlier documents still cover the product, and connect the final report or declaration to the sample and specification version being ordered. See test reports and documents for how to read a report's scope.
Official guidance
Sources checked 21 September 2026. Requirements depend on the actual product and intended use.