Is it safe to order food from Amazon? (Yes! What to know…)
Amazon delivery service makes it extremely convenient to buy a variety of products. You can have almost anything you want delivered directly to your door in a few days. Amazon has even implemented a food delivery service to deliver groceries and other food-related products to specific regions across the United States.
Having said that, ordering fresh food from an online retailer may seem a little fishy. Food safety is serious business, and it’s hard to say exactly what Amazon is doing to keep customers safe.
If you’d like some details on Amazon’s food handlers and some precautions you can take to ensure you’re getting fresh food that’s safe to eat, read on!
Is it safe to order food from Amazon?
Yes, it is safe to order food from Amazon. Amazon follows CDC guidelines for preventing foodborne pathogens. However, be careful when buying food from third-party sellers on Amazon.
If you want to learn more about Amazon food safety and its safety protocols, keep reading…
order food on amazon
Since 2007, Amazon has been offering grocery delivery in select regions. They have gone through a series of policy changes aimed at protecting customers and ensuring food sellers take appropriate steps to provide safe food.
Generally, it is safe to order food from Amazon, but there are some sellers who deliver expired food in violation of Amazon’s policy. The Amazon Fresh service gives you peace of mind and fewer reports of expired items.
If you live in an eligible area, Amazon Fresh and Whole Foods Market is a great way to get fresh food delivered directly to your door. The only catch is that you need to have an Amazon Prime account and buy a minimum amount of groceries.
Workers handling food in Amazon factories must follow CDC guidelines to prevent the spread of foodborne pathogens.
However, dry food packaged by third-party sellers is sometimes overlooked, which is why you need to be cautious when buying food from Amazon.
What is Amazon’s food safety program?
The FDA is responsible for inspecting food facilities in the United States, including those handling pet food. Any food processing facility must be registered with the FDA and undergo regular inspections. Over the years, Amazon has argued many times that they are a retail food store and therefore exempt from these registration requirements.
However, Amazon does require food sellers on its platform to obtain FDA registration certificates to ensure that their food handling practices comply with FDA guidelines. They also require food sellers, including pet food, to comply with their food safety investigation policy.
It is the responsibility of food sellers to ensure that their food is safe and complies with any local laws. Therefore, the quality and safety requirements for food sold through Amazon will vary depending on the country you live in.
Amazon Fresh has internal safety procedures to ensure food safety. All food handlers must regularly sanitize their hands and wear gloves when handling food. Generally, the requirements for food sellers focus on traceability and accountability. Specific rules for the different types of food products sold through Amazon can be found in Amazon Seller Central.
What shouldn’t you buy on Amazon?
While Amazon has taken steps to keep food safe for its sellers and customers, sometimes things slip through the cracks. Third-party sellers in particular reportedly ship expired or improperly packaged food products.
In addition to this, there are some foods sold through Amazon that are more readily available elsewhere. In particular, items purchased from more specialized sites can often be purchased at cheaper prices than on Amazon. Here is a non-exhaustive list of things you should probably avoid ordering through Amazon:
- pet food. Although Amazon has a wide variety of pet foods to choose from, most of them are listed at pretty high prices. Buying pet food from a dedicated online pet food supplier, Chewy.com, is often much cheaper. Chewy has a much larger selection of products, and the prices are much cheaper than those on Amazon.
- Item from Trader Joss. While it’s convenient to have these items delivered directly to your door, prices on Amazon are often two to three times higher than in-store prices. If you’re looking to buy through Trader Joes, it’s probably a lot cheaper to go to a brick-and-mortar store.
- Costco Kirkland Signature Products. Although Kirkland is officially partnering with Costco, Amazon actually outsells them in Kirkland Signature products. Having said that, these products are almost always cheaper at Costco than at Amazon.
- Food from third-party sellers. Food sellers on Amazon must comply with many of the above-mentioned safety measures and documentation requirements. However, some products sold by third parties managed to slip through the cracks. In particular, it has been reported that dry food is sometimes delivered after its expiration date. If you want to avoid this blunder, it’s best to order through Amazon Fresh whenever possible.
- Produce and other perishable items. Ordering perishable food and/or produce is generally not recommended as delivery times are often unpredictable. This is a notable exception if you live in an Amazon Fresh eligible area, as their sole purpose is to deliver fresh food directly to your door. However, it’s always a good idea to be cautious when ordering perishables online. Make sure to check for things like expiration dates and bring any violations to Amazon’s attention so they can ensure proper food safety compliance.
Want to learn more about Amazon?Check out our related pots to learn the difference between Amazon Fresh and Whole Foods, whether Whole Foods accepts EBT cards, and whether Amazon Fresh is included in Prime
in conclusion
Amazon’s grocery delivery service has been going strong since 2007. Although they have conflicts with the FDA over certain policy requirements, their facilities generally comply with food safety regulations. They are also very strict in ensuring the food safety of their selling partners, including pet food and other related items.
That being said, be careful when buying food online. If you take the proper precautions and stay vigilant, you should have no problem ordering food safely from Amazon.
If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to ask them in the comments section.
