Last refresh: . 26,358 refusals since 2020-01-01.

FDA refusal charge LACKS N/C: no net quantity

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The LACKS N/C charge appeared in 1,433 FDA import refusals between 2020 and 2026 — 5.4% of all 26,358 US import refusals. The charge is a labelling or registration failure, not a hazard found in the product. The origins cited most often are India, Mexico, China. The most-affected product category is Fruit and Fruit Products. Volume in 2025 was up 10% on 2024.

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What FDA's charge says

LACKS N/C is the code FDA prints on a refusal; below is the charge language FDA publishes for it, quoted from its charge table, with the sections of the FD&C Act it cites.

The article is subject to refusal of admission pursuant to Section 801(a)(3) of the FD&C Act in that it appears to be misbranded within the meaning of Section 403(e)(2) of the FD&C Act in that the food is in package form and the label fails to bear an accurate statement of the quantity of the contents in terms of weight, measure, or numerical count in accordance with Section 403(e)(2) of the FD&C Act.

Sections 403(e)(2), 801(a)(3); MISBRANDING

LACKS N/C refusals by year

YearRefusalsYoY
2020114—
2021180+57.9%
2022176-2.2%
2023198+12.5%
2024268+35.4%
2025295+10.1%
2026202—YTD
Total1,433

Origins most often refused under LACKS N/C

#Origin countryRefusals
1India154
2Mexico145
3China112
4Canada82
5Turkey54
6Nigeria51
7United Kingdom50
8Switzerland40
9Germany37
10Vietnam29
11Philippines28
12Guatemala27
13Jordan26
14Honduras23
15United States22
16Ghana20
17Thailand20
18Italy19
19South Korea18
20Australia17
21Haiti17
22Colombia16
23Japan16
24Pakistan16
25Indonesia15
26Spain15
27Sweden15
28Brazil14
29Netherlands14
30Tanzania14

Product categories refused under LACKS N/C

#Product categoryRefusals
1Fruit and Fruit Products132
2Soft Drinks and Waters120
3Bakery Products, Doughs, Bakery Mixes, and Icings118
4Candy Without Chocolate, Candy Specialties, and Chewing Gum118
5Vegetables and Vegetable Products107
6Baby (Infant and Junior) Food Products91
7Fishery/Seafood Products81
8Snack Food Items (Flour, Meal, or Vegetable Base)65
9Macaroni and Noodle Products64
10Spices, Flavors, and Salts59
11Vitamins, Minerals, Proteins, and Unconventional Dietary Specialties for Humans58
12Chocolate and Cocoa Products50
13Multiple Food Dinners, Gravies, Sauces, and Specialties (Total Diet)47
14Coffee and Tea41
15Dietary Conventional Foods and Meal Replacements40

Latest refusals citing LACKS N/C

About LACKS N/C

What does the FDA import refusal charge LACKS N/C mean?

FDA uses LACKS N/C for: no net quantity. Its published charge language reads: “The article is subject to refusal of admission pursuant to Section 801(a)(3) of the FD&C Act in that it appears to be misbranded within the meaning of Section 403(e)(2) of the FD&C Act in that the food is in package form and the label fails to bear an accurate statement of the quantity of the contents in terms of weight, measure, or numerical count in accordance with Section 403(e)(2) of the FD&C Act.”

Is LACKS N/C a food safety finding?

No. LACKS N/C is a labelling or registration failure: the charge is about the label, the filing or the paperwork, not a hazard found in the product. A refusal citing it alone is counted as paperwork on this site.

What happens to a shipment refused under LACKS N/C?

Under section 801(a) of the FD&C Act a refused entry has to be exported or destroyed, normally within 90 days of the notice of refusal. Bringing a product into compliance, for instance by relabelling, is something the importer asks FDA for before the decision is final. The notice itself and FDA's guidance govern a particular case; this page describes the published data and is not legal advice.