Sourcing guides

Sourcing Italian food, without the guesswork.

Practical guides for importers, distributors and buyers: what exists in Italy, who makes it, how samples and shipping work. Written from real customs data, not brochures.

Sourcing · Buyer guide

How do I import Italian drinks into the US?

A bottle of Italian wine needs more paperwork than a jar of sauce. Which permits, who files them, and where shipments get stuck.

Sourcing · Buyer guide

Where do restaurants buy authentic Italian ingredients?

Your Italian ingredients pass through three companies before reaching your kitchen. Which steps you can skip, and which ones protect you.

Sourcing · Buyer guide

Should I buy from small Italian producers or big brands?

A famous Italian brand sells itself. That is exactly the problem. When a small producer is the better bet, and when it is not.

Sourcing · Italian food

How do I find an authentic Italian olive oil supplier?

Italy imports more olive oil than it grows. So the flag on the bottle tells you little. What does, and what to ask.

Sourcing · Buyer guide

How do I know an Italian food supplier is reliable?

An FDA certificate for an Italian supplier does not exist. The checks that prove something, and the ones that only look good.

Sourcing · Italian food

Which Italian foods sell best in the US?

Wine is still first. It is also shrinking. Which Italian foods America is buying more of, and which shelves are already full.

Sourcing · Import USA

What do I need to import Italian food into the US?

FDA approves no importer and no label. It checks at the port. What to have in order before your Italian shipment gets there.

Sourcing · Italian food

How do I source food wholesale from Italy?

Italy exports more food every year, yet most buyers keep meeting the same names. Where the other producers are, and how to reach them.

Sourcing · Buyer guide

What tools can I use to source food from Italy?

Every tool promises you the right supplier. None of them tastes the product. What each one sees, and what it misses.

Sourcing · Alibaba.com

Is Accio part of Alibaba.com?

Ask Accio for a supplier and you are asking Alibaba.com, in a new voice. Here is what changes, and what does not.

Sourcing · Alibaba.com

Can I find real Italian food suppliers on Alibaba.com?

On Alibaba.com an Italian flag tells you where a company is registered. Not who made what is in the jar.

Sourcing · Buyer guide

Do I need a broker to buy food from Italy?

The word broker hides two jobs. One you almost certainly need. The other, maybe not.

Sourcing · High-phenolic olive oil

Where can I buy high-phenolic olive oil from Italy?

US shoppers search for it by its polyphenol count, and the shelf speaks Greek. Where the Italian producers are, and what to ask them.

Sourcing · Non-alcoholic aperitivo

Who makes non-alcoholic aperitivo in Italy?

The ritual is Italian. The supply, mostly, is not. What exists in Italy, why buyers are looking now, and how to source it.