FDA refusal charge NEEDS ACID: no acidified-food filing
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The NEEDS ACID charge appeared in 49 FDA import refusals between 2020 and 2026 — 0.2% of all 26,358 US import refusals. The charge is a process, registration or approval failure, not a contaminant or pathogen found in the product. The origins cited most often are China, Senegal, South Korea. The most-affected product category is Vegetables and Vegetable Products. Volume in 2025 was up 350% on 2024.
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What FDA's charge says
NEEDS ACID 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) in that it appears to have been prepared, packed, or held under insanitary conditions whereby it may have become contaminated with filth, or whereby it may have been rendered injurious to health due to inadequate acidification.
NEEDS ACID refusals by year
| Year | Refusals | YoY | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 5 | — | |
| 2021 | 2 | -60.0% | |
| 2022 | 7 | +250.0% | |
| 2023 | 4 | -42.9% | |
| 2024 | 4 | +0.0% | |
| 2025 | 18 | +350.0% | |
| 2026 | 9 | — | YTD |
| Total | 49 |
Origins most often refused under NEEDS ACID
| # | Origin country | Refusals |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | China | 12 |
| 2 | Senegal | 4 |
| 3 | South Korea | 4 |
| 4 | Egypt | 3 |
| 5 | Pakistan | 3 |
| 6 | Philippines | 3 |
| 7 | United Kingdom | 3 |
| 8 | Vietnam | 3 |
| 9 | India | 2 |
| 10 | Germany | 1 |
| 11 | Honduras | 1 |
| 12 | Italy | 1 |
| 13 | Jordan | 1 |
| 14 | Lebanon | 1 |
| 15 | Mexico | 1 |
| 16 | Myanmar | 1 |
| 17 | New Zealand | 1 |
| 18 | Spain | 1 |
| 19 | Thailand | 1 |
| 20 | Turkey | 1 |
| 21 | United States | 1 |
Product categories refused under NEEDS ACID
| # | Product category | Refusals |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Vegetables and Vegetable Products | 18 |
| 2 | Fruit and Fruit Products | 8 |
| 3 | Fishery/Seafood Products | 7 |
| 4 | Spices, Flavors, and Salts | 4 |
| 5 | Multiple Food Dinners, Gravies, Sauces, and Specialties (Total Diet) | 3 |
| 6 | Candy Without Chocolate, Candy Specialties, and Chewing Gum | 2 |
| 7 | Soft Drinks and Waters | 2 |
| 8 | Bakery Products, Doughs, Bakery Mixes, and Icings | 1 |
| 9 | Coffee and Tea | 1 |
| 10 | Dietary Conventional Foods and Meal Replacements | 1 |
| 11 | Milk, Butter, and Dried Milk Products | 1 |
| 12 | Whole Grains, Milled Grain Products, and Starch | 1 |
Latest refusals citing NEEDS ACID
- 084-1806025-0 ONION BULB (YELLOW, WHITE, RED, ETC.) (ROOT & TUBER VEGETABLE)From United Kingdom, Vegetables and Vegetable Products. inadequate process controlno acidified-food filingno food-canning registration
- 8RG-2688839-2 TZAHP CHOY (CHINESE CANNED SWEET PICKLES MADE FROM MIXED VEGETABLES) (MIXED VEGETABLES)From India, Vegetables and Vegetable Products. unsafe food additivenutrition labelingno process filingno acidified-food filing+2 more
- J21-0117519-3 ONION BULB (YELLOW, WHITE, RED, ETC.), WITH SAUCEFrom United Kingdom, Vegetables and Vegetable Products. inadequate process controlno acidified-food filingno process filing
- 00X-0000018-5 ONION BULB (YELLOW, WHITE, RED, ETC.) (ROOT & TUBER VEGETABLE)From United Kingdom, Vegetables and Vegetable Products. inadequate process controlno acidified-food filing
- N6X-0014276-5 CHILI SAUCEFrom China, Multiple Food Dinners, Gravies, Sauces, and Specialties (Total Diet). no acidified-food filing
- AWJ-0295010-8 CANDY WITHOUT CHOCOLATE N.E.C.From China, Candy Without Chocolate, Candy Specialties, and Chewing Gum. no acidified-food filingno food-canning registrationno process filingunsafe color additive+2 more
- AEK-9387890-6 TRUFFLE, FUNGI PRODUCTS, N.E.C.From Italy, Vegetables and Vegetable Products. no acidified-food filing
- SCS-7943911-8 OLIVES (PIT FRUIT)From Egypt, Fruit and Fruit Products. pesticide residueno acidified-food filingno process filing
- 224-5100338-2 MUSTARD GREENS (LEAF & STEM VEGETABLE)From China, Vegetables and Vegetable Products. inadequate process controlno acidified-food filing
- N5D-2502488-6 TUNA (ALBACORE, YELLOWFIN, BLUEFIN, SKIPJACK, ETC.)From Senegal, Fishery/Seafood Products. poisonous substanceinadequate process controlno acidified-food filing
- N5D-2502595-8 TUNA (ALBACORE, YELLOWFIN, BLUEFIN, SKIPJACK, ETC.)From Senegal, Fishery/Seafood Products. poisonous substanceinadequate process controlno acidified-food filing
- N5D-2502493-6 TUNA (ALBACORE, YELLOWFIN, BLUEFIN, SKIPJACK, ETC.)From Senegal, Fishery/Seafood Products. poisonous substanceinadequate process controlno acidified-food filing
- N5D-2502487-8 TUNA (ALBACORE, YELLOWFIN, BLUEFIN, SKIPJACK, ETC.)From Senegal, Fishery/Seafood Products. poisonous substanceinadequate process controlno acidified-food filing
- BJG-0202888-3 JALAPENO PEPPER, HOT, DRIED OR PASTEFrom Mexico, Vegetables and Vegetable Products. no acidified-food filing
- NQX-0055423-9 TEA, OOLONGFrom China, Coffee and Tea. inadequate process controlno acidified-food filing
- 224-4276211-2 OKRA, WITH SAUCEFrom Turkey, Vegetables and Vegetable Products. no food-canning registrationno process filingno acidified-food filing
- 512-1099211-4 MANGO (SUBTROPICAL AND TROPICAL FRUIT)From Pakistan, Fruit and Fruit Products. inadequate process controlno acidified-food filing
- KM6-3642811-2 MANGO (SUBTROPICAL AND TROPICAL FRUIT)From Pakistan, Fruit and Fruit Products. inadequate process controlno acidified-food filing
- SQ4-0545488-6 WATERMELON, JUICE, VINE FRUIT JUICES OR CONCENTRATESFrom Vietnam, Fruit and Fruit Products. label not conspicuousno net quantityno acidified-food filingno food-canning registration
- SQ4-0542189-3 COCONUT, SUBTROPICAL AND TROPICAL FRUIT, JUICES, MILK, CREME, DRINKS AND NECTARSFrom Vietnam, Fruit and Fruit Products. juice percentage not declaredno acidified-food filing
About NEEDS ACID
What does the FDA import refusal charge NEEDS ACID mean?
FDA uses NEEDS ACID for: no acidified-food filing. Its published charge language reads: “The article is subject to refusal of admission pursuant to Section 801(a)(3) in that it appears to have been prepared, packed, or held under insanitary conditions whereby it may have become contaminated with filth, or whereby it may have been rendered injurious to health due to inadequate acidification.”
Is NEEDS ACID a food safety finding?
No. NEEDS ACID is a process, registration or approval failure: the charge records a missing filing, registration, approval or process control, not a contaminant or pathogen found in the product. This site counts a refusal citing it alone with paperwork. It can still mean the product cannot lawfully be sold in the US.
What happens to a shipment refused under NEEDS ACID?
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.