Selling Mugs in the EU? What to Check Before You Start

Imagine you want to sell mugs in the EU. If you source them from an experienced manufacturer in China, things may actually be easier than you expect. Factories that regularly export ceramic drinkware often already have material specifications, food-contact test reports and other documentation prepared for overseas buyers. The more difficult situation may be when you make the mugs yourself. Maybe you make ceramic mugs at home and sell them through Etsy or Shopify. You know which clay you use. You know the glaze. You have made the same mug dozens of times, customers love it, and nothing about it feels particularly complicated. So you think: “It is just a handmade mug. What else would I need?” This is where EU rules on Food Contact Materials , usually shortened to FCM rules, start to matter. We will use ceramic mugs as a practical example, but the same basic approach applies more broadly to many other food-contact products, including kitchenware and tableware such as plates, bowls and cut...