Filth and insanitary conditions in US Food Imports — FDA Import Refusals
Filth and insanitary conditions appeared in 6,686 FDA import refusals between 2020 and 2026 — 34.8% of the 19,236 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 96% on 2024.
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Filth and insanitary conditions refusals by year
| Year | Refusals | YoY | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 658 | — | |
| 2021 | 735 | +11.7% | |
| 2022 | 800 | +8.8% | |
| 2023 | 912 | +14.0% | |
| 2024 | 803 | -12.0% | |
| 2025 | 1,574 | +96.0% | |
| 2026 | 1,204 | — | YTD |
| Total | 6,686 |
Origins most cited for Filth and insanitary conditions
| # | Origin country | Refusals |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | India | 1,525 |
| 2 | Mexico | 957 |
| 3 | China | 938 |
| 4 | Indonesia | 488 |
| 5 | Vietnam | 315 |
| 6 | Thailand | 258 |
| 7 | Canada | 211 |
| 8 | Hong Kong | 93 |
| 9 | Brazil | 89 |
| 10 | Taiwan | 87 |
| 11 | Tanzania | 87 |
| 12 | Ecuador | 75 |
| 13 | Philippines | 68 |
| 14 | South Korea | 68 |
| 15 | Pakistan | 64 |
| 16 | Guatemala | 54 |
| 17 | Costa Rica | 53 |
| 18 | Nigeria | 51 |
| 19 | United States | 51 |
| 20 | Peru | 48 |
| 21 | Bangladesh | 47 |
| 22 | Turkey | 46 |
| 23 | Myanmar | 45 |
| 24 | Greece | 39 |
| 25 | United Arab Emirates | 38 |
| 26 | Chile | 37 |
| 27 | El Salvador | 37 |
| 28 | Guyana | 37 |
| 29 | Egypt | 35 |
| 30 | Italy | 34 |
Product categories where Filth and insanitary conditions appears
| # | Product category | Refusals |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Fruit and Fruit Products | 1,949 |
| 2 | Fishery/Seafood Products | 1,742 |
| 3 | Vegetables and Vegetable Products | 736 |
| 4 | Spices, Flavors, and Salts | 419 |
| 5 | Bakery Products, Doughs, Bakery Mixes, and Icings | 413 |
| 6 | Candy Without Chocolate, Candy Specialties, and Chewing Gum | 275 |
| 7 | Vitamins, Minerals, Proteins, and Unconventional Dietary Specialties for Humans | 210 |
| 8 | Macaroni and Noodle Products | 183 |
| 9 | Snack Food Items (Flour, Meal, or Vegetable Base) | 154 |
| 10 | Nuts and Edible Seeds | 146 |
| 11 | Multiple Food Dinners, Gravies, Sauces, and Specialties (Total Diet) | 81 |
| 12 | Cheese and Cheese Products | 67 |
| 13 | Chocolate and Cocoa Products | 51 |
| 14 | Whole Grains, Milled Grain Products, and Starch | 44 |
| 15 | Dressings and Condiments | 35 |
FDA charge codes in Filth and insanitary conditions
| Code | What it means | Refusals |
|---|---|---|
FILTHY | filth | 5,007 |
MFR INSAN | insanitary plant | 837 |
MFR INJ | insanitary handling | 737 |
INSANITARY | insanitary conditions | 312 |
UNFIT4FOOD | unfit for food | 286 |
FOREIGN OB | foreign object | 57 |
REFUSE EI | refused establishment inspection | 55 |
Recent Filth and insanitary conditions refusals
- H95-0122750-1 CHINESE RED DATE (JUJUBES, ZIZIPHUS JUJUBA) (PIT FRUIT)From China, Fruit and Fruit Products. filth
- U72-0541301-7 TILAPIAFrom Nigeria, Fishery/Seafood Products. insanitary plantinsanitary handling
- NQD-1256776-8 CANDY WITHOUT CHOCOLATE N.E.C.From Mexico, Candy Without Chocolate, Candy Specialties, and Chewing Gum. filth
- H67-1724012-0 OTHER BAKERY PRODUCTS, N.E.C.From India, Bakery Products, Doughs, Bakery Mixes, and Icings. filth
- KM6-3675547-2 DATES, DRIED OR PASTEFrom Pakistan, Fruit and Fruit Products. filth
- DP4-1114535-3 YOGURT (PLAIN, FLAVORED OR FRUIT ADDED)From Poland, Milk, Butter, and Dried Milk Products. insanitary conditions
- AEK-2265463-5 TAMARIND, DRIED OR PASTEFrom Thailand, Fruit and Fruit Products. filth
- BWS-0007112-9 RAISINS, DRIED OR PASTEFrom Turkey, Fruit and Fruit Products. pesticide residuefilth
- ADM-0067450-4 RICE, PLAIN (WHITE OR POLISHED) PROCESSED (PACKAGED)From India, Whole Grains, Milled Grain Products, and Starch. pesticide residuefilth
- 1FX-6543817-9 TAMARIND, DRIED OR PASTEFrom Vietnam, Fruit and Fruit Products. filth
- 82S-0005193-4 MIXED SPICES AND SEASONING WITH SALT, N.E.C.From United Arab Emirates, Spices, Flavors, and Salts. insanitary plantinsanitary handling
- SQ4-0628635-2 BURDOCK, GOBO, DRIED OR PASTEFrom China, Vegetables and Vegetable Products. filthno manufacturer nameno net quantity
- J89-0148276-2 SAUCES, N.E.C.From India, Multiple Food Dinners, Gravies, Sauces, and Specialties (Total Diet). filth
- GLD-0112310-2 TAMARIND, DRIED OR PASTEFrom India, Fruit and Fruit Products. filth
- DP4-1096431-7 OTHER BAKERY PRODUCTS, N.E.C.From India, Bakery Products, Doughs, Bakery Mixes, and Icings. filth
- 635-1125720-4 DATES (PIT FRUIT), (PIT FRUIT)From Mexico, Fruit and Fruit Products. filth
- KM6-3686224-5 OTHER BAKERY PRODUCTS, N.E.C.From India, Bakery Products, Doughs, Bakery Mixes, and Icings. filth
- 1FX-8779625-6 MILK BASE INFANT FORMULA PRODUCT (0-12 MONTHS), POWDER FORMULAFrom Denmark, Baby (Infant and Junior) Food Products. insanitary handling
- KM6-3685157-8 PEPPER,BLACK, WHOLE (SPICE)From India, Spices, Flavors, and Salts. filthSalmonella
- BHQ-0026600-0 TAMARIND (SUBTROPICAL AND TROPICAL FRUIT PUREES)From India, Fruit and Fruit Products. filth
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.