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

Unsafe additives in US Food Imports — FDA Import Refusals

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Unsafe additives appeared in 4,269 FDA import refusals between 2020 and 2026 — 16.5% of the 25,860 refusals that identify a hazard. The origins cited most often are Mexico, India, China. The most-affected product category is Snack Food Items (Flour, Meal, or Vegetable Base). Volume in 2025 was up 51% on 2024.

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Unsafe additives notifications by year

YearNotificationsof which border rejectionsYoY
2020 315 315 —
2021 321 321 +1.9%
2022 746 746 +132.4%
2023 580 580 -22.3%
2024 661 661 +14.0%
2025 996 996 +50.7%
2026 650 650 — YTD
Total4,269

Origins most cited for Unsafe additives

#Origin countryNotifications
1 Mexico 1,200
2 India 556
3 China 339
4 Philippines 310
5 Australia 178
6 Canada 140
7 United Kingdom 133
8 Japan 118
9 Turkey 102
10 Guatemala 83
11 Italy 67
12 Pakistan 62
13 Vietnam 57
14 Sweden 54
15 Thailand 52
16 Bangladesh 48
17 Taiwan 47
18 Honduras 41
19 Spain 41
20 Jordan 39
21 Colombia 36
22 El Salvador 35
23 Nigeria 32
24 South Korea 31
25 Malaysia 29
26 Russia 21
27 United States 21
28 Egypt 19
29 Israel 19
30 Lebanon 18

Product categories where Unsafe additives appears

#Product categoryNotifications
1Snack Food Items (Flour, Meal, or Vegetable Base)882
2Candy Without Chocolate, Candy Specialties, and Chewing Gum665
3Bakery Products, Doughs, Bakery Mixes, and Icings327
4Multiple Food Dinners, Gravies, Sauces, and Specialties (Total Diet)310
5Fruit and Fruit Products291
6Soft Drinks and Waters246
7Color Additives for Foods, Drugs, and Cosmetics182
8Nuts and Edible Seeds134
9Vitamins, Minerals, Proteins, and Unconventional Dietary Specialties for Humans133
10Spices, Flavors, and Salts122
11Ice Cream and Related Products107
12Vegetables and Vegetable Products98
13Chocolate and Cocoa Products89
14Vegetable Oils (Includes Olive Oil)89
15Fishery/Seafood Products86

Recent Unsafe additives notifications

About Unsafe additives

Unsafe-additive charges apply when food appears to bear or contain a substance federal law treats as unsafe for that use: a color additive not permitted under Section 721, a food additive without the safety clearance Section 409 requires, or another added substance unsafe within the meaning of Section 406. The category has historically caught unauthorized synthetic dyes and long-banned sweeteners such as cyclamate and dulcin, and it turns up most in confectionery, beverages, sauces and imported novelty foods that rely on colour or sweetness.

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.