Updated 29 September 2026
Germany is an important market for food producers looking to expand their exports. Alongside its diverse domestic production, the country offers opportunities across organic food, fruit and vegetables, nuts, olive oil, tea and coffee, and honey.
Success depends on understanding the segment you want to enter and finding importers whose product range and distribution model match your offer. This guide looks at the opportunities in the original article’s main categories, then introduces 10 companies from the BestFoodImporters platform to help turn market research into a practical buyer shortlist.
Organic food
Germany has a well-established organic food sector, with products sold through supermarkets, discounters and specialist organic shops. This gives exporters several routes to market, from mainstream grocery distribution to buyers specialising in certified products.
German sales of organic food and beverages reached €18.2 billion in 2025, up 6.7%, according to BÖLW’s 2026 industry report. These are retail-sales figures, rather than the value of organic imports, but they demonstrate the scale of the consumer market.
For producers, the opportunity is to combine a suitable product with the supply reliability and documentation expected by the intended buyer. An organic certificate is part of the offer; product quality, price, available volumes, packaging and delivery schedules still need to work commercially.
Organic fruit and vegetables, dried products and coffee remain useful categories to investigate. Build your shortlist around the exact product and sales channel. A specialist ingredient buyer may require bulk supply, while a grocery distributor may assess your finished retail range. The BestFoodImporters organic-products database provides a starting point for identifying relevant companies.
Fruit, vegetables, nuts and dried fruit
Imports complement Germany’s domestic fruit and vegetable production, supplying products outside the local season and tropical fruit that cannot be grown commercially at comparable scale in Germany. The original guide’s focus on matching products and origins to German demand remains a useful starting point.
European and non-European suppliers serve different seasonal windows. CBI’s Germany market study, updated in October 2023, illustrates this through grapes: Italy and Spain supply during the European season, while countries including South Africa, India and Peru serve other periods. It also describes the Netherlands’ role as a re-export hub. The country shipping a product to Germany is therefore not necessarily the country where it was grown.
For fresh-produce exporters, translate that market picture into a precise offer: product and variety, harvest calendar, weekly availability, grading, packaging and transport arrangements. A reliable supply window or a distinctive variety gives a buyer a clearer reason to consider your proposal than a broad claim that demand is growing.
Nuts, seeds and dried fruit also deserve a place in the market assessment. Products such as dates can be offered in retail packs, as bulk ingredients or for further processing. These routes involve different specifications and purchasing teams. Eco Terra, Seeberger and August Töpfer, profiled below, provide examples of companies with relevant product coverage; COBANA and Greenyard Fresh Germany illustrate the fresh-produce route.
Coffee
Coffee is firmly established in German daily life. The German Coffee Association reports average consumption of 161 litres per person in 2025 and describes Germany as the world’s third-largest coffee market by sales, behind the United States and Brazil. Filter coffee remains the most popular preparation method. These figures update the original article’s 2016 snapshot. Source: German Coffee Association.
For exporters, the first distinction is between supplying green coffee for roasting and supplying a finished coffee product. An importer buying green beans evaluates a different offer from a distributor considering a retail brand, capsules or products for hospitality customers.
Producers of certified organic or distinctive coffees should explain what sets their supply apart: origin, variety, processing method, flavour profile and consistency between lots. Positioning a product as premium is more convincing when the buyer can assess it through a specification, representative samples and reliable commercial terms.
The original guide’s emphasis on communication, transport and packaging remains relevant. Producers should prepare samples, demonstrate a dependable business background and explain their ability to deliver consistently. Agree how the samples should be supplied and which quality criteria the buyer will use. Exporters can begin their company research with the tea and coffee importer database, then distinguish coffee specialists from businesses whose broader range happens to include coffee.
Honey
Germany is an important destination for honey exporters, serving both retail consumers and food manufacturers. Honey sold as a branded jar and honey purchased as an industrial ingredient have different commercial requirements, so producers should choose their target segment before approaching importers.
CBI’s German honey market study reports imports of 64,425 tonnes, worth €211 million, in 2023. It identifies Ukraine, Argentina, Mexico and China among the main non-EU suppliers that year. These dated figures provide a reference point for the market’s scale, rather than a claim about the latest annual import total.
The food industry uses honey in products including bakery goods, confectionery and breakfast cereals. For an ingredient supplier, an effective proposal should set out the honey’s origin, specification, batch consistency, available volume and bulk-packaging options. A producer targeting retail should also explain the variety, flavour, presentation and intended price position.
Quality and authenticity should be established through traceability and suitable analysis. Supplier assessment should focus on the individual producer and batch, rather than treating country of origin as a substitute for evidence of quality.
The original advice on marketing and buyer outreach remains useful. A clear product proposition and brand can support a retail offer; for bulk supply, technical and commercial suitability should lead the presentation. Participation in industry exhibitions and conferences can help producers meet potential buyers when the budget allows. Focused research and direct outreach offer another route.
Use the BestFoodImporters honey, sugar and spreads database to start the search, then verify that each company actually handles honey. A broad category that includes sugar or spreads does not by itself establish honey-buying activity. The ten examples below cover several food sectors and should not be read as a dedicated honey-importer list.
From market opportunities to a buyer shortlist
Once you have selected a category, narrow the search by the type of partner you need: importer, ingredient supplier, distributor, wholesaler or foodservice business. The following companies illustrate several of these routes and show how to qualify the fit before making contact.
Company research: BestFoodImporters records reviewed on 29 September 2026. This is an illustrative selection, not a ranking or confirmation of current purchasing needs. The approach recommendations are editorial guidance.
10 food importers and buyers in Germany at a glance
| Company | Base | Product focus | Business model |
|---|---|---|---|
| COBANA GmbH & Co. KG | Hamburg | Fresh fruit, vegetables and organic produce | Importer / wholesaler |
| Greenyard Fresh Germany GmbH | Bremen | Fresh fruit and vegetables | Importer |
| Eco Terra GmbH | Bremthal | Nuts, seeds, dried fruit, cereals, coffee and cocoa | Importer / distributor / supplier |
| Seeberger GmbH | Ulm | Nuts, dried fruit, seeds and coffee | Importer / supplier |
| Hälssen & Lyon GmbH | Hamburg | Tea, herbs, spices and dried fruit | Importer / wholesaler |
| Kräuter Mix GmbH | Abtswind | Dried vegetables, herbs, spices and tea | Importer / supplier / producer |
| August Töpfer & Co. (GmbH & Co.) KG | Hamburg | Nuts, dried fruit, sugar, sweeteners and flour | Importer / distributor / wholesaler |
| FRoSTA AG | Bremerhaven | Frozen fish, seafood, vegetables and other food ingredients | Frozen-food manufacturer / importer |
| Andronaco GmbH & Co. KG | Hamburg | Pasta, olive oil, canned foods and delicatessen products | Importer / wholesaler / retailer |
| Vierlande Food-service GmbH | Essen (Oldenburg) | Foodservice groceries, chilled and frozen foods | Importer / wholesaler / supplier |
Company profiles: product focus and approach
1. COBANA GmbH & Co. KG
Hamburg · Importer / wholesaler
COBANA’s product coverage includes fresh fruit and vegetables, with organic produce also represented. It is a relevant prospect for growers and exporters building a fresh-produce shortlist.
Before approaching: Lead with your harvest window, varieties, grading, packing options and available weekly volumes. Establish the required certification and delivery programme before sending samples.
2. Greenyard Fresh Germany GmbH
Bremen · Importer
Greenyard Fresh Germany is a fresh-produce prospect covering both fruit and vegetables. Suppliers should present a specific supply programme rather than a general agricultural catalogue.
Before approaching: Set out the product, origin, season, calibre, packaging and cold-chain arrangements. Confirm which procurement team handles your crop and whether the proposed seasonal window fits its sourcing needs.
3. Eco Terra GmbH
Bremthal · Importer / distributor / supplier
Eco Terra combines a dry-ingredient and snacking range: nuts, seeds, dried fruit and cereal products sit alongside coffee and cocoa in its product coverage. This makes the exact product format an important qualification point.
Before approaching: Clarify whether the offer is a bulk ingredient, a processed component or a finished retail product. Include processing method, pack size, allergen information and the relevant quality specification.
4. Seeberger GmbH
Ulm · Importer / supplier
Seeberger’s range includes nuts, dried fruit, seeds and coffee. For an exporter, the useful starting point is a clearly defined product and supply capability; the breadth of its range does not establish a route for every external consumer brand.
Before approaching: Confirm whether the relevant team sources raw materials, processed products or finished packs. Prepare origin, grade, shelf-life, traceability and quality-control information for the proposed product.
5. Hälssen & Lyon GmbH
Hamburg · Importer / wholesaler
Hälssen & Lyon’s product coverage brings together tea, herbs, spices and dried fruit, including organic tea and coffee categories. Tea and infusion ingredients are a more useful starting point for supplier matching than broad food-sector labels.
Before approaching: Specify the botanical or tea variety, origin, grade, leaf or cut size, processing and available volumes. Establish testing and sample requirements with the relevant buying team.
6. Kräuter Mix GmbH
Abtswind · Importer / supplier / producer
Kräuter Mix combines importing, supplying and production activities. Its product coverage includes dried vegetables, herbs, spices and tea, making it a prospect to investigate for ingredient supply.
Before approaching: Present ingredient specifications, including cut size, moisture, microbiological parameters and traceability. First establish how the material will be used and which processing or quality requirements apply.
7. August Töpfer & Co. (GmbH & Co.) KG
Hamburg · Importer / distributor / wholesaler
August Töpfer’s range includes nuts, dried fruit, sugar, sweeteners and flour, with organic categories also represented. Its combination of importing, distribution and wholesale activities warrants product-specific qualification.
Before approaching: State the commodity, grade, origin, bulk or retail format, available volume and delivery terms. For an organic offer, include the applicable certification and confirm the documentation required for that product and supply route.
8. FRoSTA AG
Bremerhaven · Frozen-food manufacturer / importer
FRoSTA manufactures frozen food. Its BFI record covers frozen fish and seafood, vegetables and a wider set of food ingredients. A supplier should therefore investigate ingredient procurement and production requirements when assessing this company.
Before approaching: Confirm the purchasing scope before pitching a finished brand. An ingredient proposal should cover specification, processing, traceability, temperature control and supply consistency.
9. Andronaco GmbH & Co. KG
Hamburg · Importer / wholesaler / retailer
Andronaco combines importing, wholesale, retail and online sales. Its broad grocery range includes pasta, olive oil and vinegar, canned foods and delicatessen products, giving packaged-food exporters several product-specific starting points.
Before approaching: Identify the relevant range and intended sales channel. Present the brand proposition, origin, shelf-life, case configuration, price position and reasons the product would complement the existing assortment.
10. Vierlande Food-service GmbH
Essen (Oldenburg) · Importer / wholesaler / supplier
Vierlande supplies professional kitchens. Its product coverage includes dairy, fish, meat, fresh vegetables, ready-made foods and frozen or chilled desserts. Foodservice suitability should guide the supplier proposal.
Before approaching: Explain portion size, preparation method, kitchen yield, storage, shelf-life and catering pack format. Confirm the relevant delivery area, ordering requirements and product-selection process.
What to prepare before contacting a German food buyer
- Define the offer. Specify the product, origin, format, brand or private-label option, available volume and production lead time. Choose the relevant range rather than sending your full catalogue without explanation.
- Make the commercial terms usable. Include minimum order, case and pallet configuration, price basis, delivery terms and shelf-life at dispatch. Clarify the proposed delivery point so the buyer can assess logistics.
- Prepare a product dossier. Have ingredients, allergens, nutritional information, technical specifications, traceability and relevant certificates available. Testing and certification needs depend on the product and customer.
- Resolve labelling and packaging responsibilities. Review the exact food category and route to market. The European Commission’s Food Labelling Information System is a starting point for applicable labelling provisions; national requirements may also apply. Agree who handles packaging registration, participation and reporting using the German packaging register’s current guidance on imports and own brands.
- Confirm purchasing scope. Check that the buyer handles your product, origin and format, and identify the appropriate purchasing function. A relevant category in a database establishes a research lead, not an open purchasing requirement.
- Send a focused first approach. Explain the product fit, supply capability and commercial reason to consider it. Offer a concise specification and agree the sample process. Our guide to contacting food importers develops this step further.
Explore related markets and product categories
For a wider European shortlist, compare the Netherlands food-import market, food importers in France and UK food-import market. Assess each market against your product and delivery model.
For category research, explore snack and confectionery export opportunities and frozen-food export opportunities. To move from research to company selection, see our fruit and vegetable importer database and tea and coffee importer database.
Common questions about finding food importers in Germany
Which German food importer is right for my product?
Start with the precise product, format and target channel. A fresh-produce importer, an ingredient processor and a foodservice wholesaler evaluate different specifications. Use the comparison table to identify a route, then qualify the individual company.
Do all companies in this guide distribute foreign food brands?
No. The selection includes companies with manufacturing and ingredient-sourcing activities as well as wholesale and retail operations. Confirm whether the purchasing team handles branded products, private-label goods or production ingredients.
Can I use this list as confirmation that a buyer wants new suppliers?
No. Product coverage helps identify prospects, but current purchasing needs, origin requirements and supplier onboarding must be confirmed directly. A relevant, specific proposal is more useful than an untargeted introduction.
Where can I research more German food importers?
The BestFoodImporters platform lets you combine country, product category and business-type filters. Review the detailed company records and product keywords before building your outreach shortlist. Request a demo to explore the workflow.
Sources and editorial method
Company locations, business types and product coverage were drawn from BestFoodImporters records reviewed on 29 September 2026. Selected product ranges are summarised rather than reproduced in full. FRoSTA’s manufacturing role is also supported by its corporate website. Market background and regulatory resources are linked where discussed. Supplier-fit observations and preparation advice are editorial analysis, not statements of an individual company’s purchasing policy.
