South Africa — All Categories
South Africa received 39 FDA import refusals across all food categories between 2024-Q1 and 2026-Q4. Volume peaked at 7 in 2025-Q2, with the trend falling year-on-year. The most-cited issues are unsafe color additive, nutrition labeling, and no net quantity. No trade baseline is published for some of South Africa's categories, so no per-$1B rate is shown for the origin total.
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Key figures
- Hazard or paperwork
- Of these, 23 were hazard refusals and 16 were paperwork refusals.
Quarterly refusals, last 12 quarters
Show the numbers
| Quarter | Refusals | Hazard | Paperwork |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-Q1 | 4 | 1 | 3 |
| 2024-Q2 | 4 | 3 | 1 |
| 2024-Q3 | 3 | 2 | 1 |
| 2024-Q4 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 2025-Q1 | 3 | 1 | 2 |
| 2025-Q2 | 7 | 4 | 3 |
| 2025-Q3 | 3 | 3 | 0 |
| 2025-Q4 | 4 | 1 | 3 |
| 2026-Q1 | 3 | 2 | 1 |
| 2026-Q2 | 2 | 2 | 0 |
| 2026-Q3 | 4 | 4 | 0 |
| 2026-Q4 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
By year
| Year | Refusals |
|---|---|
| 2026 | 10 |
| 2025 | 17 |
| 2024 | 12 |
| 2023 | 17 |
| 2022 | 14 |
| 2021 | 4 |
| 2020 | 8 |
By category, last 156 weeks
| Category | Refusals | Per $1B US imports | Most-cited hazard |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vitamins, Minerals, Proteins, and Unconventional Dietary Specialties for Humans | 14 | — | unapproved new drug |
| Fruit and Fruit Products | 9 | — | filth |
| Candy Without Chocolate, Candy Specialties, and Chewing Gum | 4 | — | unsafe color additive |
| Soft Drinks and Waters | 4 | — | ingredients not listed |
| Whole Grains, Milled Grain Products, and Starch | 3 | — | pesticide residue |
| Soups | 3 | — | unsafe color additive |
| Vegetables and Vegetable Products | 1 | — | nutrition labeling |
| Food Sweeteners (Nutritive) | 1 | — | nutrition labeling |
| Dietary Conventional Foods and Meal Replacements | 1 | — | unapproved new drug |
| Ice Cream and Related Products | 1 | — | unsafe color additive |
| Food Additives - for Human Use | 1 | — | unsafe color additive |
Recent refusals
- BNI-0149625-4 NAVY (WHITE) BEANS (BAKED BEANS, PORK & BEANS), IN SAUCEVegetables and Vegetable Products. Import division DNEI. no net quantitynutrition labelingno process filing
- BNI-0150355-4 RICE, PROCESSED (PACKAGED) N.E.C.Whole Grains, Milled Grain Products, and Starch. Import division DSEI. pesticide residueno process filing
- BNI-0148090-2 RICE, PROCESSED (PACKAGED) N.E.C.Whole Grains, Milled Grain Products, and Starch. Import division DNEI. pesticide residue
- BNI-0148134-8 STRAWBERRY, JAM, JELLY, PRESERVES, MARMALADE, BUTTER AND CANDIEDFruit and Fruit Products. Import division DNEI. unsafe color additive
- EQN-0048610-3 VITAMIN, MINERAL, PROTEINS AND UNCONVENTIONAL DIETARY SPECIALITIES FOR HUMANS AND ANIMALS, N.E.C.Vitamins, Minerals, Proteins, and Unconventional Dietary Specialties for Humans. Import division DNEI. establishment not listedno adequate directionsforeign plant not registeredunapproved animal drug+2 more
- 8BL-0046387-2 RICE, PLAIN (WHITE OR POLISHED) PROCESSED (PACKAGED)Whole Grains, Milled Grain Products, and Starch. Import division DNBI. pesticide residue
- BNI-0145260-4 BUBBLE GUM (WITHOUT CHOCOLATE)Candy Without Chocolate, Candy Specialties, and Chewing Gum. Import division DNEI. unsafe color additive
- 8B4-0011542-2 VITAMIN, MINERAL, PROTEINS AND UNCONVENTIONAL DIETARY SPECIALITIES FOR HUMANS AND ANIMALS, N.E.C.Vitamins, Minerals, Proteins, and Unconventional Dietary Specialties for Humans. Import division DNEI. unapproved new drug
- EB5-1620127-5 ENERGY DRINK CAFFEINE, CARBONATED, N.E.C.Soft Drinks and Waters. Import division DNEI. unsafe color additive
- BNI-0142062-7 MUSHROOM SOUP, DRIEDSoups. Import division DNEI. unsafe color additive
- EH2-0050918-8 CARBONATED SOFT DRINK, N.E.C.Soft Drinks and Waters. Import division DSWI. ingredients not listedno net quantitynutrition labeling
- EH2-0050934-5 CARBONATED SOFT DRINK, N.E.C.Soft Drinks and Waters. Import division DSWI. no net quantitynutrition labelingingredients not listed
- BNI-0140285-6 VITAMIN, MINERAL, PROTEINS AND UNCONVENTIONAL DIETARY SPECIALITIES FOR HUMANS AND ANIMALS, N.E.C.Vitamins, Minerals, Proteins, and Unconventional Dietary Specialties for Humans. Import division DNEI. unapproved new drug
- 805-0136737-1 MUSHROOM SOUP, DRIEDSoups. Import division DNEI. unsafe color additive
- BNI-0137198-6 SOFT CANDY WITHOUT NUTS AND FRUIT, N.E.C. (WITHOUT CHOCOLATE)Candy Without Chocolate, Candy Specialties, and Chewing Gum. Import division DSWI. unsafe color additiveingredients not listedno net quantitynot in English+1 more
- HK8-0362634-8 RAISINS (DRIED GRAPES) (BERRY)Fruit and Fruit Products. Import division DNEI. filth
- 805-0136556-5 MIXED FRUIT, JAM, JELLY, PRESERVES, MARMALADE, BUTTER OR CANDIED, N.E.C.Fruit and Fruit Products. Import division DNEI. unsafe color additive
- SCS-0055256-7 SOFT CANDY WITHOUT NUTS AND FRUIT, N.E.C. (WITHOUT CHOCOLATE)Candy Without Chocolate, Candy Specialties, and Chewing Gum. Import division DWCI. unsafe color additiveingredients not listedcolor not declarednutrition labeling
- 8NP-0128201-5 SUGAR PRODUCTS, N.E.C.Food Sweeteners (Nutritive). Import division DSEI. no net quantitynot in Englishlabelingnutrition labeling
- EJG-2500969-3 SOFT DRINKS AND WATERS NOT MENTIONED ELSEWHERE, N.E.C.Soft Drinks and Waters. Import division DSEI. unsafe color additiveingredients not listed
Recent weeks
| Week | Refusals |
|---|---|
| 2026-W44 | 0 |
| 2026-W43 | 0 |
| 2026-W42 | 0 |
| 2026-W41 | 0 |
| 2026-W40 | 1 |
| 2026-W39 | 1 |
| 2026-W38 | 2 |
| 2026-W37 | 0 |
→ See all FDA import refusals for 2026-W44
Data and downloads
Download all 82 entries (CSV) — every refusal behind this page, with its import division, FDA product code, charges and whether it was a hazard finding or paperwork. Every entry is also listed by year above.
The file holds entries up to 2026-10-05. To get new ones for South Africa by email, watch South Africa.
South Africa country report since 2020 — every refusal by year, charge and import division →