Understanding the Regulatory Landscape
American Samoa is a U.S. territory in the South Pacific with a rich culinary tradition rooted in Polynesian heritage — palusami, oka i'a, panipopo, and umu-cooked feasts are the foundation of its food culture. But from a regulatory standpoint, American Samoa occupies unusual territory: it has not yet enacted a dedicated cottage food law of the kind that now exists in all 50 U.S. states.
Instead, the territory operates under Title 25 of the American Samoa Code Annotated (ASCA) — Environmental Health, a general food safety framework dating to 1963. Under ASCA § 25.0501, it is unlawful for any person to engage in "any activity involving the sale of food or drink, such as catering, peddling, vending, etc." without a valid health permit issued by the Director of Health. This requirement appears to apply to home-based food sellers just as it would to any restaurant or food stall.
What does this mean practically? Unlike states with cottage food laws, American Samoa does not publish a list of approved home-kitchen foods, does not cap annual sales at a specific dollar amount, and does not offer a simple registration pathway designed for home food sellers. The path runs through the Department of Health's health permitting process — and through the Department of Commerce for your business license.
The upside: there is no annual revenue ceiling. There is also growing government momentum around local food production — a June 2025 emergency meeting convened by Governor Pula addressed food safety gaps and called for expanded support for local producers. Home food sellers who navigate the permitting landscape correctly can operate confidently and grow without artificial revenue limits.
We strongly recommend contacting the American Samoa Government Department of Health (ASDOH) directly before starting to sell — to understand the health permit process for your specific situation and verify whether any informal guidance exists for small-scale home food sellers. This guide reflects the law as written; ASDOH may exercise enforcement discretion in practice.
Title 25 ASCA — Environmental Health
- § 25.0101–25.0106: Food & Beverage Sanitation — definitions and sanitation requirements for all food establishments
- § 25.0501: Health permits required for all food sales activity, including catering, peddling, and vending
- § 25.0102: Director of Health — enforcement authority over all food regulations
- Original regulation: Pub. Health Reg. 1, effective December 19, 1963
- Amended via PL 12-44, 1972
American Samoa has no cottage food statute exempting home kitchen sellers from health permit requirements. This guide explains what exists — but direct contact with ASDOH is essential before you begin selling.
Navigate This Guide
What You Can Sell
Which food categories are open, restricted, or prohibited for home sellers in American Samoa under current territorial rules.
Read GuideShelf-Stable Foods
Baked goods, jams, dried foods, and confections — how shelf-stable products are treated under American Samoa's food framework.
Read GuidePrepared Meals & TCS Foods
Foods that require temperature control for safety — what sellers need to know about TCS foods in the territory.
Read GuideBeverages
Kombucha, cold brew, juices, kava-based drinks, and specialty beverages — rules and licensing considerations.
Read GuideLicenses & Permits
The health permit process, business license requirements, and step-by-step guidance on getting properly licensed.
Read GuideLabel Requirements
What must appear on your product labels under American Samoa's mandatory packaged food labeling guidelines (2017).
Read GuideStart Your Business
Sole proprietor vs. LLC, business registration with the Dept. of Commerce, taxes, and your complete start-to-sell checklist.
Read GuideSpecial Categories
Meat, dairy, alcohol, fermented foods, acidified products — categories requiring separate licensing beyond standard permits.
Read GuideFood Culture & History of American Samoa
A Pacific Kitchen 3,000 Years in the Making
The food culture of American Samoa is among the oldest in the Pacific, rooted in a Polynesian civilization that settled the archipelago roughly 3,000 years ago. The first settlers — most likely voyagers from Tonga — brought a sophisticated knowledge of ocean fishing and cultivation of taro, breadfruit, coconuts, and yams. These staple ingredients, combined with the Pacific's abundant marine life, have defined the Samoan table ever since.
The defining cooking technology of traditional Samoan cuisine is the umu — an above-ground earth oven built by heating volcanic rocks with fire, then layering food atop the stones and covering it with banana and breadfruit leaves to steam and bake slowly. The umu is more than a cooking method; it is a communal ritual central to the Sunday to'ona'i (the weekly family feast after church) and the fa'alavelave (ceremonial gatherings for weddings, funerals, and christenings).
American and German colonial influences arrived in the late 1800s and early 1900s, leaving their mark on local cuisine — most notably through pisupo (canned corned beef), which became so embedded in everyday cooking that it's now used without a second thought in palusami and stews. German rolls (pagi siamu) — deep-fried doughnuts filled with grape jelly — became a beloved local breakfast. Sapasui, the Samoan version of chop suey, arrived with Chinese-American immigrants and became quintessentially Samoan.
The mid-20th century brought the tuna canning industry, which at its peak employed roughly a third of the territory's workforce. The closure of Chicken of the Sea's Samoa Packing in 2009 highlighted the territory's vulnerability — today an estimated 95% of American Samoa's food is imported, making local food production a growing priority. The Fagatogo Public Market at Fagatogo Square, operated daily by the Department of Agriculture, is the heart of local food commerce — where farmers, fishermen, and food vendors gather each day against the backdrop of Pago Pago Harbor.
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