Mycotoxins in US Food Imports — FDA Import Refusals
Mycotoxins appeared in 96 FDA import refusals between 2020 and 2026 — 0.5% of the 19,236 refusals that identify a hazard. The origins cited most often are El Salvador, India, Mexico. The most-affected product category is Nuts and Edible Seeds. Volume in 2025 was up 35% on 2024.
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Mycotoxins refusals by year
| Year | Refusals | YoY | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 11 | — | |
| 2021 | 11 | +0.0% | |
| 2022 | 16 | +45.5% | |
| 2023 | 9 | -43.8% | |
| 2024 | 17 | +88.9% | |
| 2025 | 23 | +35.3% | |
| 2026 | 9 | — | YTD |
| Total | 96 |
Origins most cited for Mycotoxins
| # | Origin country | Refusals |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | El Salvador | 20 |
| 2 | India | 17 |
| 3 | Mexico | 11 |
| 4 | United States | 9 |
| 5 | Turkey | 8 |
| 6 | Haiti | 4 |
| 7 | Afghanistan | 3 |
| 8 | China | 3 |
| 9 | Ghana | 3 |
| 10 | Hong Kong | 3 |
| 11 | Philippines | 3 |
| 12 | Argentina | 2 |
| 13 | Bangladesh | 1 |
| 14 | Canada | 1 |
| 15 | Germany | 1 |
| 16 | Indonesia | 1 |
| 17 | Jordan | 1 |
| 18 | Lebanon | 1 |
| 19 | Nicaragua | 1 |
| 20 | Pakistan | 1 |
| 21 | Sri Lanka | 1 |
| 22 | Thailand | 1 |
Product categories where Mycotoxins appears
| # | Product category | Refusals |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nuts and Edible Seeds | 35 |
| 2 | Whole Grains, Milled Grain Products, and Starch | 26 |
| 3 | Candy Without Chocolate, Candy Specialties, and Chewing Gum | 11 |
| 4 | Fruit and Fruit Products | 9 |
| 5 | Snack Food Items (Flour, Meal, or Vegetable Base) | 5 |
| 6 | Spices, Flavors, and Salts | 4 |
| 7 | Fishery/Seafood Products | 2 |
| 8 | Dressings and Condiments | 1 |
| 9 | Macaroni and Noodle Products | 1 |
| 10 | Multiple Food Dinners, Gravies, Sauces, and Specialties (Total Diet) | 1 |
| 11 | Vegetables and Vegetable Products | 1 |
FDA charge codes in Mycotoxins
| Code | What it means | Refusals |
|---|---|---|
AFLATOXIN | aflatoxin | 45 |
MYCOTOXIN | mycotoxin | 43 |
Recent Mycotoxins refusals
- 392-0263040-4 CARAMEL CANDY PIECES, SOFT, WITH NUTS OR NUT PRODUCTS (WITHOUT CHOCOLATE)From Mexico, Candy Without Chocolate, Candy Specialties, and Chewing Gum. mycotoxin
- NF7-0001079-8 SNACK FOODS NOT ELSEWHERE MENTIONED, N.E.C.From Bangladesh, Snack Food Items (Flour, Meal, or Vegetable Base). aflatoxinnutrition labelingunsafe color additive
- 392-0260825-1 HARD CANDY WITH NUT OR NUT PRODUCTS, N.E.C. (WITHOUT CHOCOLATE)From Mexico, Candy Without Chocolate, Candy Specialties, and Chewing Gum. aflatoxin
- 392-0261261-8 CARAMEL CANDY PIECES, HARD, WITH NUTS OR NUT PRODUCTS (NOT COCONUT) (WITHOUT CHOCOLATE)From Mexico, Candy Without Chocolate, Candy Specialties, and Chewing Gum. mycotoxin
- 8KP-0071041-9 PEANUT, SHELLEDFrom India, Nuts and Edible Seeds. aflatoxinfilth
- 392-0260207-2 CARAMEL CANDY PIECES, HARD, WITH NUTS OR NUT PRODUCTS (NOT COCONUT) (WITHOUT CHOCOLATE)From Mexico, Candy Without Chocolate, Candy Specialties, and Chewing Gum. aflatoxin
- 8Q4-0008382-5 CORN, BOLTED MEAL OR FLOURFrom El Salvador, Whole Grains, Milled Grain Products, and Starch. aflatoxin
- 8Q4-0008342-9 CORN, BOLTED MEAL OR FLOURFrom El Salvador, Whole Grains, Milled Grain Products, and Starch. aflatoxin
- NXW-0008454-5 PEANUT, SHELLEDFrom Turkey, Nuts and Edible Seeds. aflatoxin
- SCS-9490813-9 FIG, DRIED OR PASTEFrom Turkey, Fruit and Fruit Products. mycotoxin
- BNI-0139010-1 MELON SEEDS (EDIBLE SEED)From Ghana, Nuts and Edible Seeds. mycotoxinnutrition labeling
- BNI-0135965-0 CORN, BOLTED MEAL OR FLOURFrom Ghana, Whole Grains, Milled Grain Products, and Starch. mycotoxin
- 8Q4-0007678-7 CORN, BOLTED MEAL OR FLOURFrom El Salvador, Whole Grains, Milled Grain Products, and Starch. aflatoxin
- 8Q4-0007680-3 CORN, BOLTED MEAL OR FLOURFrom El Salvador, Whole Grains, Milled Grain Products, and Starch. mycotoxin
- AZR-4748170-1 PISTACHIO, IN SHELLFrom Turkey, Nuts and Edible Seeds. aflatoxin
- 8Q4-0007246-3 CORN, BOLTED MEAL OR FLOURFrom El Salvador, Whole Grains, Milled Grain Products, and Starch. mycotoxin
- 8Q4-0007226-5 CORN, BOLTED MEAL OR FLOURFrom El Salvador, Whole Grains, Milled Grain Products, and Starch. mycotoxin
- 8Q4-0007284-4 CORN, BOLTED MEAL OR FLOURFrom El Salvador, Whole Grains, Milled Grain Products, and Starch. mycotoxin
- 8Q4-0007445-1 CORN, BOLTED MEAL OR FLOURFrom El Salvador, Whole Grains, Milled Grain Products, and Starch. mycotoxin
- F87-2500066-2 PISTACHIO, SHELLEDFrom Germany, Nuts and Edible Seeds. aflatoxin
About Mycotoxins
Mycotoxin charges are brought under Section 402(a)(1): the food appears to bear or contain a poisonous and deleterious mould-produced toxin, most often aflatoxin, but also deoxynivalenol, fumonisin, ochratoxin A or patulin. These toxins form when crops are stored warm and damp rather than during processing, so the charge tracks growing and storage conditions in the country of origin as much as the product itself. Refusals concentrate in tree nuts, peanuts, dried figs, spices, corn and apple products such as juice, where the source mould thrives.
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.