Shipping to the U.S.

If you've tried to place an order recently and noticed that U.S. shipping is no longer an option, I want to explain why that is, because it's not a decision I made lightly.

As of August 2025, the United States ended what's called the "de minimis exemption" — a rule that previously allowed small shipments valued under $800 USD to enter the country without formal customs paperwork or import duties. At the same time, U.S. Customs and Border Protection rescinded a long-standing filing exemption that allowed low-value food products to enter without review by the Food and Drug Administration.

Both these factors resulted in an immediate loss of about 20% of my sales, because what this means in practical terms is that every single shipment of food products into the U.S. — regardless of how small — now requires:

  • Formal customs entry

Complete with commercial invoices and classification paperwork, where previously a small package could clear with minimal documentation.

  • FDA Prior Notice filing

For every food shipment, submitted electronically through the FDA's systems before the package even reaches the border.

  • Duty and tariff collection

On postal shipments, which the U.S. Postal Service is now required to apply — even on orders that would have sailed through duty-free a year ago.

For a large company with a dedicated shipping or compliance department, these are manageable hurdles. For a one-person shop like mine, they're not.

I source, curate, pack, and ship every order myself, and I spend about an hour a day on customer support via the chat function and contact form on my website, emails, and Facebook and Instagram.

The additional paperwork, filing requirements, and per-shipment costs that now come with every U.S. order would either make each shipment unaffordable for you or unsustainable for me — and frankly, neither of those outcomes fits with how I want to do business.

I know this is frustrating if you've been counting on me for Epicure products, A Spice Affair blends, or other items that are hard to find in the U.S. I'm frustrated too. Many of you found me precisely because these products aren't easy to get where you are, and I've always taken pride in being that bridge.

Here's what I can still do:

  • Ship anywhere in Canada — no changes there. Flat-rate and local pickup options in Edmonton remain available.
  • Suggest you find a Canadian friend or family member who can receive a shipment on your behalf and forward it privately when you visit.
  • Keep you posted if anything changes. I'm watching this situation closely, and if the regulatory landscape shifts in a way that makes U.S. shipping viable again for a small business like mine, I'll be the first to let you know.

Thank you for understanding. I didn't start My Epicurean Kitchen to put up walls — I started it to bring people together around good food. But I also have to be honest about what I can and can't do as one person, and right now, this is a line I can't cross without compromising the service I want to give everyone who shops with me.

If you have questions, please reach out. I read every message, and I'll always do my best to help you find what you're looking for — even if I can't put it in a box and send it across the border.

Workaround for Epicure products

If you want to buy Epicure products from the relaunched company you can use this link and have an order shipped direct to you from the company’s U.S. distributor.

Make sure the flag at the top right is toggled to show the U.S. flag, and the prices you are shown are in US dollars.