Unsafe additives in US Food Imports — FDA Import Refusals
Unsafe additives appeared in 4,457 FDA import refusals between 2020 and 2026 — 23.2% of the 19,236 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 54% on 2024.
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Unsafe additives refusals by year
| Year | Refusals | YoY | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 455 | — | |
| 2021 | 416 | -8.6% | |
| 2022 | 748 | +79.8% | |
| 2023 | 549 | -26.6% | |
| 2024 | 606 | +10.4% | |
| 2025 | 936 | +54.5% | |
| 2026 | 747 | — | YTD |
| Total | 4,457 |
Origins most cited for Unsafe additives
| # | Origin country | Refusals |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mexico | 1,161 |
| 2 | India | 548 |
| 3 | China | 368 |
| 4 | Indonesia | 303 |
| 5 | Philippines | 284 |
| 6 | Australia | 207 |
| 7 | Canada | 133 |
| 8 | United Kingdom | 130 |
| 9 | Japan | 110 |
| 10 | Turkey | 90 |
| 11 | Sweden | 66 |
| 12 | Italy | 64 |
| 13 | Guatemala | 61 |
| 14 | Pakistan | 53 |
| 15 | Thailand | 52 |
| 16 | Vietnam | 49 |
| 17 | Taiwan | 46 |
| 18 | Bangladesh | 44 |
| 19 | El Salvador | 35 |
| 20 | Jordan | 35 |
| 21 | Spain | 35 |
| 22 | Honduras | 32 |
| 23 | Nigeria | 30 |
| 24 | Colombia | 29 |
| 25 | South Korea | 29 |
| 26 | United States | 29 |
| 27 | Malaysia | 27 |
| 28 | Hong Kong | 24 |
| 29 | Russia | 21 |
| 30 | Singapore | 18 |
Product categories where Unsafe additives appears
| # | Product category | Refusals |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Snack Food Items (Flour, Meal, or Vegetable Base) | 840 |
| 2 | Candy Without Chocolate, Candy Specialties, and Chewing Gum | 632 |
| 3 | Vitamins, Minerals, Proteins, and Unconventional Dietary Specialties for Humans | 502 |
| 4 | Multiple Food Dinners, Gravies, Sauces, and Specialties (Total Diet) | 293 |
| 5 | Bakery Products, Doughs, Bakery Mixes, and Icings | 284 |
| 6 | Fruit and Fruit Products | 245 |
| 7 | Soft Drinks and Waters | 233 |
| 8 | Color Additives for Foods, Drugs, and Cosmetics | 217 |
| 9 | Ice Cream and Related Products | 136 |
| 10 | Nuts and Edible Seeds | 132 |
| 11 | Spices, Flavors, and Salts | 113 |
| 12 | Vegetables and Vegetable Products | 93 |
| 13 | Vegetable Oils (Includes Olive Oil) | 87 |
| 14 | Fishery/Seafood Products | 86 |
| 15 | Chocolate and Cocoa Products | 79 |
FDA charge codes in Unsafe additives
| Code | What it means | Refusals |
|---|---|---|
UNSAFE COL | unsafe color additive | 3,209 |
UNSAFE ADD | unsafe food additive | 844 |
UNSFDIETSP | unsafe dietary ingredient | 356 |
YELLOW #5 | FD&C Yellow No. 5 undeclared | 147 |
COSM COLOR | unsafe cosmetic color | 39 |
CYCLAMATE | cyclamate | 37 |
Recent Unsafe additives refusals
- 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
- 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
- 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
- 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
- K64-3066307-5 GINGER ROOT (ROOT & TUBER VEGETABLE)From Japan, Vegetables and Vegetable Products. FD&C Yellow No. 5 undeclared
- BDD-6711316-3 BISCUITSFrom Philippines, Bakery Products, Doughs, Bakery Mixes, and Icings. unsafe color additivecolor not declaredFD&C Yellow No. 5 undeclared
- BDD-6711278-5 CARAMEL CANDY PIECES, SOFT, WITH NUTS OR NUT PRODUCTS (WITHOUT CHOCOLATE)From Philippines, Candy Without Chocolate, Candy Specialties, and Chewing Gum. FD&C Yellow No. 5 undeclared
- 1FX-3804793-3 CANDY WITHOUT CHOCOLATE N.E.C.From Sweden, Candy Without Chocolate, Candy Specialties, and Chewing Gum. unsafe color additive
- CEY-1044989-8 SOFT DRINK, IMITATION FRUIT FLAVORED, CARBONATEDFrom Canada, Soft Drinks and Waters. unsafe color additiveingredients not listedno net quantitynutrition labeling+1 more
- BLS-9054207-7 SAFFRON, WHOLE (SPICE)From Spain, Spices, Flavors, and Salts. unsafe color additivecolor not declared
- NJA-0004325-9 CORN CHIPS, FRIEDFrom Mexico, Snack Food Items (Flour, Meal, or Vegetable Base). unsafe color additivelabel not conspicuousnot in Englishcolor additive labeling+1 more
- H67-1717485-7 CARAMEL CANDY PIECES, HARD, WITHOUT NUTS OR FRUIT (WITHOUT CHOCOLATE)From India, Candy Without Chocolate, Candy Specialties, and Chewing Gum. unsafe color additivecolor not declared
- BJG-0222075-3 CORN CHIPS, FRIEDFrom Mexico, Snack Food Items (Flour, Meal, or Vegetable Base). unsafe color additivecolor not declared
- NJA-0004253-3 CORN CHIPS, FRIEDFrom Mexico, Snack Food Items (Flour, Meal, or Vegetable Base). unsafe color additivecolor not declared
- BJG-0222052-2 CORN CHIPS, FRIEDFrom Mexico, Snack Food Items (Flour, Meal, or Vegetable Base). unsafe color additiveingredients not listedlabel not conspicuouscolor not declared+3 more
- AMH-0035885-6 MIXED SPICES AND SEASONING WITH SALT, N.E.C.From Mexico, Spices, Flavors, and Salts. unsafe color additivecolor not declared
- NFT-2095220-5 ICES, FRUIT FLAVORED, ON A STICK, (POPSICLES, ETC.)From China, Ice Cream and Related Products. unsafe color additivecolor not declared
- DS8-3035070-0 SHRIMP & PRAWNSFrom China, Fishery/Seafood Products. unsafe food additiveveterinary drug residue
- RTW-0045096-4 OTHER BAKERY PRODUCTS, N.E.C.From India, Bakery Products, Doughs, Bakery Mixes, and Icings. unsafe color additivecolor not declared
- 1FX-5720329-2 SOFT CANDY WITHOUT NUTS AND FRUIT, N.E.C. (WITHOUT CHOCOLATE)From Sweden, Candy Without Chocolate, Candy Specialties, and Chewing Gum. unsafe color additivenot in English
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. Dietary supplements refused because an ingredient presents a significant or unreasonable risk of illness or injury, or is a new dietary ingredient with no evidence of safety, are counted here too.
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.