Last refresh: · 25,892 refusals since 2020-01-01

Labelling in US Food Imports — FDA Import Refusals

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Labelling appeared in 7,426 FDA import refusals between 2020 and 2026 — 28.7% of the 25,860 refusals that identify a hazard. 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.

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Labelling notifications by year

YearNotificationsof which border rejectionsYoY
2020 802 802 —
2021 792 792 -1.2%
2022 942 942 +18.9%
2023 1,060 1,060 +12.5%
2024 1,267 1,267 +19.5%
2025 1,538 1,538 +21.4%
2026 1,025 1,025 — YTD
Total7,426

Origins most cited for Labelling

#Origin countryNotifications
1 Mexico 1,688
2 India 736
3 China 559
4 Canada 283
5 United Kingdom 217
6 Philippines 213
7 South Korea 191
8 Turkey 186
9 Japan 176
10 Guatemala 162
11 Vietnam 151
12 Portugal 139
13 Italy 137
14 United States 114
15 Germany 113
16 Indonesia 100
17 Switzerland 100
18 Nigeria 99
19 Thailand 99
20 Taiwan 91
21 Colombia 87
22 Honduras 82
23 Brazil 78
24 Pakistan 74
25 Spain 65
26 Jordan 58
27 Malaysia 58
28 Sweden 54
29 Bangladesh 53
30 Netherlands 53

Product categories where Labelling appears

#Product categoryNotifications
1Vitamins, Minerals, Proteins, and Unconventional Dietary Specialties for Humans1,404
2Snack Food Items (Flour, Meal, or Vegetable Base)985
3Candy Without Chocolate, Candy Specialties, and Chewing Gum578
4Fruit and Fruit Products551
5Bakery Products, Doughs, Bakery Mixes, and Icings478
6Soft Drinks and Waters365
7Vegetables and Vegetable Products355
8Fishery/Seafood Products345
9Dietary Conventional Foods and Meal Replacements272
10Baby (Infant and Junior) Food Products255
11Macaroni and Noodle Products252
12Multiple Food Dinners, Gravies, Sauces, and Specialties (Total Diet)247
13Spices, Flavors, and Salts201
14Chocolate and Cocoa Products145
15Nuts and Edible Seeds142

Recent Labelling notifications

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.