Labelling in US Food Imports — FDA Import Refusals
Labelling appeared in 7,617 FDA import refusals between 2020 and 2026 — 28.7% of all 26,528 US import refusals. The charge is a labelling or registration failure, not a hazard found in the product. The origins cited most often are Mexico, India, China. The most-affected product category is Vitamins, Minerals, Proteins, and Unconventional Dietary Specialties for Humans. Volume in 2025 was up 21% on 2024.
Email me about new FDA import refusals involving Labelling
One email a week, and only when something matches. We'll send a confirmation link first; unsubscribe any time from the footer of any email.
Labelling refusals by year
| Year | Refusals | YoY | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 802 | — | |
| 2021 | 792 | -1.2% | |
| 2022 | 942 | +18.9% | |
| 2023 | 1,060 | +12.5% | |
| 2024 | 1,268 | +19.6% | |
| 2025 | 1,538 | +21.3% | |
| 2026 | 1,215 | — | YTD |
| Total | 7,617 |
Origins most cited for Labelling
| # | Origin country | Refusals |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mexico | 1,712 |
| 2 | India | 749 |
| 3 | China | 600 |
| 4 | Canada | 296 |
| 5 | United Kingdom | 225 |
| 6 | Philippines | 218 |
| 7 | South Korea | 193 |
| 8 | Turkey | 188 |
| 9 | Japan | 180 |
| 10 | Guatemala | 173 |
| 11 | Vietnam | 154 |
| 12 | Portugal | 140 |
| 13 | Italy | 139 |
| 14 | Germany | 115 |
| 15 | United States | 114 |
| 16 | Thailand | 105 |
| 17 | Indonesia | 102 |
| 18 | Nigeria | 102 |
| 19 | Switzerland | 101 |
| 20 | Taiwan | 93 |
| 21 | Colombia | 89 |
| 22 | Honduras | 85 |
| 23 | Brazil | 79 |
| 24 | Pakistan | 76 |
| 25 | Spain | 67 |
| 26 | Sweden | 63 |
| 27 | Jordan | 59 |
| 28 | Malaysia | 58 |
| 29 | Bangladesh | 54 |
| 30 | Ghana | 53 |
Product categories where Labelling appears
| # | Product category | Refusals |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Vitamins, Minerals, Proteins, and Unconventional Dietary Specialties for Humans | 1,425 |
| 2 | Snack Food Items (Flour, Meal, or Vegetable Base) | 995 |
| 3 | Candy Without Chocolate, Candy Specialties, and Chewing Gum | 608 |
| 4 | Fruit and Fruit Products | 558 |
| 5 | Bakery Products, Doughs, Bakery Mixes, and Icings | 489 |
| 6 | Soft Drinks and Waters | 378 |
| 7 | Vegetables and Vegetable Products | 360 |
| 8 | Fishery/Seafood Products | 355 |
| 9 | Dietary Conventional Foods and Meal Replacements | 278 |
| 10 | Baby (Infant and Junior) Food Products | 270 |
| 11 | Macaroni and Noodle Products | 254 |
| 12 | Multiple Food Dinners, Gravies, Sauces, and Specialties (Total Diet) | 248 |
| 13 | Spices, Flavors, and Salts | 209 |
| 14 | Chocolate and Cocoa Products | 145 |
| 15 | Nuts and Edible Seeds | 144 |
FDA charge codes in Labelling
| Code | What it means | Refusals |
|---|---|---|
NUTRIT LBL | nutrition labeling | 3,041 |
COLOR LBLG | color not declared | 2,161 |
NO ENGLISH | not in English | 2,101 |
LIST INGRE | ingredients not listed | 1,621 |
LACKS N/C | no net quantity | 1,442 |
FALSE | false or misleading label | 957 |
LACKS FIRM | no manufacturer name | 920 |
LABELING | labeling | 751 |
INCONSPICU | label not conspicuous | 678 |
USUAL NAME | no common name | 672 |
DIETARYLBL | supplement labeling | 353 |
NCONTACT | no contact information | 286 |
HEALTH C | unauthorized health claim | 190 |
STD IDENT | not to standard of identity | 133 |
SULFITELBL | sulfites not declared | 108 |
COLORLABEL | color additive labeling | 104 |
JUICE % | juice percentage not declared | 100 |
DIRSEXMPT | no adequate directions | 88 |
DIETARYING | dietary ingredient labeling | 78 |
PRESRV LBL | preservative not declared | 60 |
FLAVR LBLG | flavor not declared | 55 |
STD NAME | no standard name | 54 |
PLANT PART | plant part not declared | 44 |
Recent Labelling refusals
- B3T-2601014-9 TUNA (ALBACORE, YELLOWFIN, BLUEFIN, SKIPJACK, ETC.)From Thailand, Fishery/Seafood Products. histaminenutrition labeling
- 1FX-5769925-9 VITAMIN, MINERAL, PROTEINS AND UNCONVENTIONAL DIETARY SPECIALITIES FOR HUMANS AND ANIMALS, N.E.C.From Saint Lucia, Vitamins, Minerals, Proteins, and Unconventional Dietary Specialties for Humans. plant part not declaredunapproved new drug
- AD4-0726145-3 MARSHMALLOW CANDY, SOFT, WITHOUT NUTS AND FRUIT (WITHOUT CHOCOLATE)From Sweden, Candy Without Chocolate, Candy Specialties, and Chewing Gum. unsafe color additivecolor not declared
- 1FX-6375016-1 VITAMIN E (TOCOPHEROL)From Guatemala, Vitamins, Minerals, Proteins, and Unconventional Dietary Specialties for Humans. labelingunauthorized health claim
- AEK-2341507-7 FOODS WITH SUPPLEMENTAL NUTRIENTS ADDED, WITH OR WITHOUT ARTIFICAL SWEETNERSFrom Vietnam, Dietary Conventional Foods and Meal Replacements. not in English
- BJG-0215917-5 MILK, FLAVORED (CHOCOLATE, ETC.)From Mexico, Milk, Butter, and Dried Milk Products. ingredients not listedunsafe food additivelabel not conspicuousfalse or misleading label+1 more
- EJG-2602155-6 VITAMIN, MINERAL, PROTEINS AND UNCONVENTIONAL DIETARY SPECIALITIES FOR HUMANS AND ANIMALS, N.E.C.From India, Vitamins, Minerals, Proteins, and Unconventional Dietary Specialties for Humans. false or misleading label
- 1FX-3654157-2 VITAMIN, MINERAL, PROTEINS AND UNCONVENTIONAL DIETARY SPECIALITIES FOR HUMANS AND ANIMALS, N.E.C.From Japan, Vitamins, Minerals, Proteins, and Unconventional Dietary Specialties for Humans. supplement labelingnot in Englishnutrition labeling
- EMK-0157694-6 FOODS WITH SUPPLEMENTAL NUTRIENTS ADDED, WITH OR WITHOUT ARTIFICAL SWEETNERSFrom Mexico, Dietary Conventional Foods and Meal Replacements. unsafe color additivecolor not declared
- 1FX-5630652-6 TODDLER MILK BASED FORMULA/DRINK PRODUCT (12-36 MONTHS), POWDER FORMULAFrom Switzerland, Baby (Infant and Junior) Food Products. no premarket notificationlabel not conspicuousnot in Englishnutrition units incorrect
- DM4-0867462-8 FLAVORED CANDY, SOFT (LIVE SAVERS, ETC.), WITHOUT NUTS AND FRUIT (WITHOUT CHOCOLATE)From El Salvador, Candy Without Chocolate, Candy Specialties, and Chewing Gum. unsafe color additivecolor not declared
- GLD-0223712-5 INFANT FORMULA RAW MATERIAL COMPONENT, N.E.C.,From Canada, Baby (Infant and Junior) Food Products. false or misleading label
- GLD-0328419-1 MILK BASE INFANT FORMULA PRODUCT (0-12 MONTHS), POWDER FORMULAFrom United Kingdom, Baby (Infant and Junior) Food Products. false or misleading label
- GLD-0003307-0 OTHER FORMULA PRODUCTS, N.E.C., READY TO FEEDFrom United Kingdom, Baby (Infant and Junior) Food Products. false or misleading label
- SCS-8405454-1 MILK BASE INFANT FORMULA PRODUCT (0-12 MONTHS), POWDER FORMULAFrom United Kingdom, Baby (Infant and Junior) Food Products. false or misleading label
- 442-8673499-9 ANIMAL BY-PRODUCTS AND EXTRACTS, N.E.C.From Canada, Vitamins, Minerals, Proteins, and Unconventional Dietary Specialties for Humans. supplement labelinglabelingunauthorized health claimnutrition labeling+2 more
- 900-0220797-6 TOMATOES (FRUIT USED AS VEGETABLE)From Dominican Republic, Vegetables and Vegetable Products. pesticide residueno manufacturer name
- BDD-6711316-3 BISCUITSFrom Philippines, Bakery Products, Doughs, Bakery Mixes, and Icings. unsafe color additivecolor not declaredFD&C Yellow No. 5 undeclared
- SQ4-0628635-2 BURDOCK, GOBO, DRIED OR PASTEFrom China, Vegetables and Vegetable Products. filthno manufacturer nameno net quantity
- GLD-0349392-5 GOAT MILK INFANT BASED FORMULA PRODUCT (0-12 MONTHS), POWDER FORMULAFrom United Kingdom, Baby (Infant and Junior) Food Products. false or misleading label
About Labelling
Labelling charges are misbranding findings under FD&C Act Section 403: the product was not necessarily unsafe, but its label omitted or misstated something the law requires — net quantity of contents, the common or usual name, a full ingredient list, required English-language text, nutrition or dietary-supplement information, or conformity with a standard of identity. These findings turn up across nearly every packaged food category, from spices and confectionery to dietary supplements and infant formula, wherever a shipment's paperwork trails its contents.
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.