Filth and insanitary conditions in US Food Imports — FDA Import Refusals
Filth and insanitary conditions appeared in 6,475 FDA import refusals between 2020 and 2026 — 25.0% of the 25,860 refusals that identify a hazard. The origins cited most often are India, Mexico, China. The most-affected product category is Fruit and Fruit Products. Volume in 2025 was up 95% on 2024.
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Filth and insanitary conditions notifications by year
| Year | Notifications | of which border rejections | YoY | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 656 | 656 | — | |
| 2021 | 734 | 734 | +11.9% | |
| 2022 | 799 | 799 | +8.9% | |
| 2023 | 911 | 911 | +14.0% | |
| 2024 | 801 | 801 | -12.1% | |
| 2025 | 1,560 | 1,560 | +94.8% | |
| 2026 | 1,014 | 1,014 | — | YTD |
| Total | 6,475 |
Origins most cited for Filth and insanitary conditions
| # | Origin country | Notifications |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | India | 1,475 |
| 2 | Mexico | 936 |
| 3 | China | 910 |
| 4 | Indonesia | 482 |
| 5 | Vietnam | 311 |
| 6 | Thailand | 242 |
| 7 | Canada | 208 |
| 8 | Hong Kong | 91 |
| 9 | Brazil | 88 |
| 10 | Tanzania | 86 |
| 11 | Taiwan | 76 |
| 12 | Ecuador | 75 |
| 13 | South Korea | 66 |
| 14 | Philippines | 62 |
| 15 | Pakistan | 61 |
| 16 | Guatemala | 53 |
| 17 | Costa Rica | 51 |
| 18 | United States | 50 |
| 19 | Peru | 48 |
| 20 | Bangladesh | 46 |
| 21 | Myanmar | 43 |
| 22 | Turkey | 43 |
| 23 | Greece | 39 |
| 24 | El Salvador | 37 |
| 25 | Chile | 36 |
| 26 | Guyana | 36 |
| 27 | Nigeria | 36 |
| 28 | United Arab Emirates | 35 |
| 29 | Egypt | 34 |
| 30 | Italy | 34 |
Product categories where Filth and insanitary conditions appears
| # | Product category | Notifications |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Fruit and Fruit Products | 1,867 |
| 2 | Fishery/Seafood Products | 1,703 |
| 3 | Vegetables and Vegetable Products | 717 |
| 4 | Bakery Products, Doughs, Bakery Mixes, and Icings | 407 |
| 5 | Spices, Flavors, and Salts | 402 |
| 6 | Candy Without Chocolate, Candy Specialties, and Chewing Gum | 261 |
| 7 | Vitamins, Minerals, Proteins, and Unconventional Dietary Specialties for Humans | 208 |
| 8 | Macaroni and Noodle Products | 176 |
| 9 | Snack Food Items (Flour, Meal, or Vegetable Base) | 154 |
| 10 | Nuts and Edible Seeds | 143 |
| 11 | Multiple Food Dinners, Gravies, Sauces, and Specialties (Total Diet) | 72 |
| 12 | Cheese and Cheese Products | 67 |
| 13 | Chocolate and Cocoa Products | 50 |
| 14 | Whole Grains, Milled Grain Products, and Starch | 42 |
| 15 | Dressings and Condiments | 34 |
Recent Filth and insanitary conditions notifications
- 635-1124606-6 MexicoFruit and Fruit ProductsDATES (PIT FRUIT), (PIT FRUIT) filthy
- KM6-3677866-4 IndiaSpices, Flavors, and SaltsMIXED SPICES AND SEASONING WITH SALT, N.E.C. filthy
- AEK-2031384-6 IndiaFruit and Fruit ProductsTAMARIND (SUBTROPICAL AND TROPICAL FRUIT PUREES) filthy
- EJ4-0058905-0 IndiaMacaroni and Noodle ProductsNOODLES AND NOODLE PRODUCTS, N.E.C. filthyunsafe colcolor lblg
- 635-1124566-2 MexicoFruit and Fruit ProductsDATES (PIT FRUIT), (PIT FRUIT) filthy
- EVJ-1264207-3 ThailandFishery/Seafood ProductsFISH, N.E.C. filthymfrhaccpinsanitary
- SCS-5860367-9 MexicoFruit and Fruit ProductsTAMARIND, DRIED OR PASTE filthy
- KM6-3677890-4 IndiaMacaroni and Noodle ProductsNOODLES, INSTANT filthy
- BDD-0834569-2 ChinaSpices, Flavors, and SaltsFIVE SPICE MIX, GROUND, CRACKED, WITHOUT SALT filthy
- 417-0413158-4 TurkeyFood Sweeteners (Nutritive)MOLASSES list ingrefilthyfalseno english+1 more
- EVJ-1265504-2 ThailandFishery/Seafood ProductsFISH, N.E.C. filthy
- AEK-9735568-7 ThailandFruit and Fruit ProductsTAMARIND, DRIED OR PASTE filthy
- BPI-0264491-6 MexicoCandy Without Chocolate, Candy Specialties, and Chewing GumCANDY SPECIALTIES, N.E.C. (WITHOUT CHOCOLATE) filthy
- AEK-9823059-0 IndiaFruit and Fruit ProductsTAMARIND, DRIED OR PASTE filthy
- G05-1143780-1 ThailandFishery/Seafood ProductsBARRACUDA filthy
- AEK-0989644-9 IndiaFruit and Fruit ProductsTAMARIND (SUBTROPICAL AND TROPICAL FRUIT) filthy
- EFP-2608579-0 MexicoCheese and Cheese ProductsCHEESE, HISPANIC/LATINO/MEXICAN STYLE, ALL VARIETIES, INCLUDING QUESO filthy
- SCS-4229350-4 ThailandFruit and Fruit ProductsTAMARIND, JAM, JELLY, PRESERVES, MARMALADE, BUTTER OR CANDIED filthy
- B4S-1015560-2 IndiaBakery Products, Doughs, Bakery Mixes, and IcingsOTHER BAKERY PRODUCTS, N.E.C. filthy
- AEK-0841834-4 IndiaVitamins, Minerals, Proteins, and Unconventional Dietary Specialties for HumansMACA (HERBAL & BOTANICALS, NOT TEAS II) mfr inj
About Filth and insanitary conditions
Filth and insanitary-conditions charges rest on FD&C Act Section 402(a)(3) and (a)(4): the product appears to consist in whole or in part of a filthy, putrid or decomposed substance, to be otherwise unfit for food, or to have been prepared, packed or held under conditions that could have contaminated it with filth or made it injurious to health. The finding spans insect and rodent contamination, foreign objects and unsanitary facilities, and turns up across spices, seafood, produce and low-moisture foods alike.
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.