United States Guide
Selling Online
You can sell freeze-dried food online through a website, Amazon, Etsy, social media, or plain shipping. The channel does not change the product: online selling does not automatically exempt the product from federal or state food rules. Plan for the same layers you would face selling from a storefront, plus shipping-specific questions.
Regulatory record
- Regulatory Region
- 🇺🇸 United States
- Last Verified
- Structure reviewed 26 September 2026 — legal specifics not yet independently verified; confirm with the relevant authority
- Official Authority
- FDA (federal) and each state where you sell (state)
The channels
This guide applies to all of these and any other channel:
- Website: Your own online store.
- Amazon: Marketplace selling, which adds that marketplace's own policies on food sellers.
- Etsy: Marketplace selling with its own food-seller policies.
- Social media: Selling through social platforms or direct messages.
- Shipping: Sending product by mail or courier, which can cross state lines and change the state layer.
No automatic exemption
Online is still selling
Online selling does not automatically exempt the product from federal or state food rules. Packaging, labeling, state registration and the federal layer apply as applicable, and shipping can add destination-state obligations.
Shipping changes the map
Once you ship, you may be selling in every state you ship to. Pet-food registration, labeling and cottage-food restrictions are state-specific, and one state's view does not follow the package. See the interstate sales guide.
Official sources
Official sources
Regulatory disclaimer
Regulatory requirements change and may depend on product, facility, sales channel, and location. This resource is educational and should be verified with the relevant government authority before commercial operation.
Common questions
Can I sell online without state registration?
Only if the state allows it for your product and channel, which most require you to verify. Online selling creates no automatic exemption.
Does Amazon require food-seller approval?
Marketplaces have their own food-seller policies on top of government rules; check the marketplace's current policy and the underlying federal and state rules.