Contaminants in US Food Imports — FDA Import Refusals
Contaminants appeared in 1,846 FDA import refusals between 2020 and 2026 — 9.6% of the 19,236 refusals that identify a hazard. The origins cited most often are China, India, Mexico. The most-affected product category is Nuts and Edible Seeds. Volume in 2025 was up 32% on 2024.
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Contaminants refusals by year
| Year | Refusals | YoY | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 158 | — | |
| 2021 | 165 | +4.4% | |
| 2022 | 190 | +15.2% | |
| 2023 | 234 | +23.2% | |
| 2024 | 302 | +29.1% | |
| 2025 | 400 | +32.5% | |
| 2026 | 397 | — | YTD |
| Total | 1,846 |
Origins most cited for Contaminants
| # | Origin country | Refusals |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | China | 751 |
| 2 | India | 274 |
| 3 | Mexico | 105 |
| 4 | South Korea | 83 |
| 5 | Vietnam | 83 |
| 6 | Indonesia | 72 |
| 7 | Thailand | 72 |
| 8 | Canada | 44 |
| 9 | Taiwan | 37 |
| 10 | Turkey | 30 |
| 11 | Chile | 22 |
| 12 | Bangladesh | 21 |
| 13 | Pakistan | 21 |
| 14 | Myanmar | 18 |
| 15 | Guatemala | 15 |
| 16 | Japan | 15 |
| 17 | Egypt | 13 |
| 18 | Ecuador | 12 |
| 19 | United Arab Emirates | 11 |
| 20 | Hong Kong | 10 |
| 21 | Colombia | 9 |
| 22 | United Kingdom | 9 |
| 23 | Albania | 8 |
| 24 | Italy | 8 |
| 25 | Lebanon | 7 |
| 26 | Mozambique | 7 |
| 27 | Philippines | 7 |
| 28 | Poland | 7 |
| 29 | El Salvador | 6 |
| 30 | Brazil | 5 |
Product categories where Contaminants appears
| # | Product category | Refusals |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nuts and Edible Seeds | 252 |
| 2 | Bakery Products, Doughs, Bakery Mixes, and Icings | 236 |
| 3 | Fruit and Fruit Products | 223 |
| 4 | Vegetables and Vegetable Products | 196 |
| 5 | Spices, Flavors, and Salts | 143 |
| 6 | Fishery/Seafood Products | 141 |
| 7 | Ice Cream and Related Products | 127 |
| 8 | Snack Food Items (Flour, Meal, or Vegetable Base) | 127 |
| 9 | Vitamins, Minerals, Proteins, and Unconventional Dietary Specialties for Humans | 66 |
| 10 | Milk, Butter, and Dried Milk Products | 47 |
| 11 | Chocolate and Cocoa Products | 41 |
| 12 | Whole Grains, Milled Grain Products, and Starch | 41 |
| 13 | Vegetable Protein Products (Simulated Meats) | 37 |
| 14 | Candy Without Chocolate, Candy Specialties, and Chewing Gum | 32 |
| 15 | Cheese and Cheese Products | 31 |
FDA charge codes in Contaminants
| Code | What it means | Refusals |
|---|---|---|
POISONOUS | poisonous or deleterious substance | 941 |
MELAMINE | melamine | 612 |
POISONORD | poisonous substance | 268 |
PB-FOOD | lead | 122 |
ADDED BULK | bulking agent added | 51 |
RADIONUC | radionuclide | 41 |
Recent Contaminants refusals
- KM6-3683668-6 MANGO (SUBTROPICAL AND TROPICAL FRUIT)From Pakistan, Fruit and Fruit Products. poisonous or deleterious substance
- MQ9-0213174-6 MIXED VEGETABLES, N.E.C.From India, Vegetables and Vegetable Products. poisonous or deleterious substance
- KM6-3678696-4 BETEL NUT, SHELLEDFrom India, Nuts and Edible Seeds. poisonous substance
- BJG-0223080-2 MIXED FRUIT, JUICES OR CONCENTRATES N.E.C.,From Mexico, Fruit and Fruit Products. poisonous or deleterious substance
- NFT-2095398-9 SOYBEAN FLOUR, MEAL, OR POWDERFrom China, Whole Grains, Milled Grain Products, and Starch. poisonous or deleterious substancemelamineunfit for food
- SCS-0559668-7 PALM NUT ARECA, ARECA NUT OR BETEL NUT, SUBTROPICAL AND TROPICAL FRUIT, DRIED OR PASTEFrom Myanmar, Fruit and Fruit Products. poisonous or deleterious substance
- EJ2-0205565-6 SOURSOP (OTHER FRUIT PUREES)From Vietnam, Fruit and Fruit Products. poisonous or deleterious substance
- 8NP-0813097-7 WHOLE SPICE, N.E.C.From Thailand, Spices, Flavors, and Salts. poisonous or deleterious substance
- KM6-3686052-0 BETEL NUT, SHELLEDFrom India, Nuts and Edible Seeds. unsafe food additivepoisonous substanceunapproved new drug
- FS2-2601345-6 PRUNES (DRIED PLUMS) (PIT FRUIT)From Taiwan, Fruit and Fruit Products. poisonous or deleterious substance
- 8BL-0050440-2 SOYBEAN FLOUR, MEAL, OR POWDERFrom China, Whole Grains, Milled Grain Products, and Starch. melamine
- U47-2605538-5 SEAWEED, DRIED OR PASTEFrom South Korea, Vegetables and Vegetable Products. poisonous or deleterious substance
- U47-2605541-9 SEAWEED, DRIED OR PASTEFrom South Korea, Vegetables and Vegetable Products. poisonous or deleterious substance
- AEK-0813168-1 PALM NUT ARECA, ARECA NUT OR BETEL NUT, SUBTROPICAL AND TROPICAL FRUIT, DRIED OR PASTEFrom Thailand, Fruit and Fruit Products. poisonous or deleterious substancefilth
- AEK-9664840-5 BETEL NUT, IN SHELLFrom Thailand, Nuts and Edible Seeds. poisonous or deleterious substance
- AEK-9701200-7 BETEL NUT, IN SHELLFrom Thailand, Nuts and Edible Seeds. poisonous or deleterious substance
- AEK-9664727-4 BETEL NUT, IN SHELLFrom Thailand, Nuts and Edible Seeds. poisonous or deleterious substance
- DP4-8687034-9 BETEL NUT, IN SHELLFrom India, Nuts and Edible Seeds. filthSalmonellaunsafe food additivepoisonous substance
- U47-2605787-8 SEAWEED, DRIED OR PASTEFrom South Korea, Vegetables and Vegetable Products. poisonous or deleterious substance
- U47-2604605-3 SEAWEED, DRIED OR PASTEFrom South Korea, Vegetables and Vegetable Products. poisonous or deleterious substance
About Contaminants
This group covers chemical and environmental contaminants charged under Section 402(a)(1) as poisonous or deleterious substances, distinct from residues of a pesticide or animal drug applied on purpose: lead, melamine and its analogues, dioxins and PCBs, the radionuclide Cesium-137, sulfites present in excess, and marine biotoxins. These reach food through packaging, industrial contamination, fraudulent adulteration or the animal's own environment rather than through intended use, and refusals here turn up in seafood, dairy, infant-formula ingredients and imported confectionery.
Which FDA import refusals does this page count?
Every entry FDA refused that cites this hazard among its charge codes. A single entry can carry more than one charge, so an entry refused for both a pathogen and a labelling defect is counted on both the relevant hazard page and, separately, in the hazard/paperwork split shown on the leaderboard.
What happens when this hazard is found in a shipment?
The entry is refused admission into US commerce. The importer must recondition the shipment (where that is possible), export it out of the United States, or have it destroyed under FDA supervision. Repeated findings against one shipper or product can lead FDA to place them on an Import Alert, which subjects future shipments to detention without physical examination.
Where does this data come from?
The public FDA Import Refusal Report, refetched weekly. Counts are per entry (consignment), so one entry listing several charge codes for the same hazard is counted once.