Is the Wild West of TikTok foods coming to an end?

No more freeze-dried Skittles or gummies. [View on web]( [A vibrant and colorful illustration depicts TikTok's rapid sales of candy through the platform.]( Many small business owners have found success selling candy on TikTok. Now, new guidelines from the social media platform will drastically limit what foods these small businesses can sell. [Megan Rizzo](/Eater If you have a small food business, TikTok is where you go to advertise. It’s where [freeze-dried candy sellers]( and [jelly crystal makers]( show off their creations, reeling in customers. But it’s also been a kind of Wild West for homemade food, where products like the controversial pink sauce and [dubiously preserved pickles]( have both blown up, despite concerns about their production. TikTok is now leaning into its designation as “[QVC for Gen Z](” with [the large-scale launch of TikTok Shop](, a commerce add-on that makes it even easier for creators to sell things. “We have a very aggressive plan to make a splash in the industry and make sure that people out there understand that TikTok is a place for shopping,” TikTok executive Nico Le Bourgeois [told the New York Times](. But homemade food — as much as it has thrived on TikTok until now — isn’t welcome in this new marketplace, [Insider has reported](. Perhaps to protect against future pink sauce-esque controversies, TikTok [has outlined]( the food products that it’s prohibiting on TikTok Shop: perishable food; food that must be stored at a specific temperature; prepackaged food for children under three years old; baby formula; food additives; food that isn’t intended for retail sale in the United States; and all homemade food products. The final category specifically calls out FYP-famous products: [freeze-dried candies, chamoy gummies, and crystal candies](. (It’s a big difference from how TikTok has handled the selling of food in the United Kingdom: Last year, it [enabled food brands]( to sell fresh food including fish and pasta on TikTok Shop.) Indeed, the backlash to shoppable TikTok food has grown recently. A video titled “[Homemade TikTok foods are a hazard](” has over 3.6 million views on YouTube, and Eater’s Amy McCarthy [implored earlier this year](: “Please stop buying food from social media influencers.” As McCarthy explains, TikTok creators aren’t necessarily following cottage food laws, and it’s unclear whether or not they have food-handling experience or training. Sauces and freeze-dried foods, for example, both go against [New York State’s home processing regulations](. But while TikTok’s Shop policies might be good for consumer protection, it’s bad news for sellers who rely on the platform for sales. It’s a familiar tale at this point: Small businesses grow dependent on a platform, [only to get pummeled]( by its changes. Insider confirmed that TikTok is taking down food products in violation of this policy. “For me, it means we’re going out of business,” one freeze-dried candy seller — who made 1,400 sales through TikTok in a month — told Insider. Although potential customers can still go directly to a business’s website, TikTok Shop simplifies the process of buying what you scroll past. As TikTok Shop gains traction, it’ll certainly influence the small food business world; we’ll keep following along. More reading: - Finally, [an explanation for why]( Lana del Rey worked a shift at a Waffle House. - For more on how TikTok has changed the food landscape, the New York Times [dives into the growing world of TikTok creator cookbooks](. - Also from the Times: [the updated big, annual Restaurant List](. - “Popcorn is a time capsule for how we snack,” [according to Taste](. - Punch has the story on [bar menus that are way more fussy]( than a QR code. If you like this email, please forward it to a friend. If you aren't signed up for this newsletter, you can [do so right here](. — Bettina Makalintal, senior reporter  [Learn more about RevenueStripe...]( [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [Instagram]( This email was sent to {EMAIL}. Manage your [email preferences]( or [unsubscribe](param=today). View our [Privacy Notice]( and our [Terms of Service](. Vox Media, 1201 Connecticut Ave. NW, Floor 11, Washington, DC 20036. Copyright © 2023. All rights reserved.