Italy: FDA food import refusals, 2020–2025
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Italy was the origin of 245 of 22,156 US food import refusals in 2020–2025 (1.1%), ranking 18th of 146 origins. 47% were hazard findings and 53% paperwork alone. 23% concerned macaroni and noodle products; the most-cited safety charge was unsafe color additive, and the most-cited paperwork charge not to standard of identity.
Every US food import refusal naming Italy as origin, 1 January 2020 to 31 December 2025. A refusal is one import entry, however many product lines it carried. Download every table (CSV).
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By year
| Year | Refusals | Share of US total | Rank among origins |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 75 | 2.8% | 7 |
| 2021 | 21 | 0.7% | 22 |
| 2022 | 18 | 0.5% | 33 |
| 2023 | 39 | 1.1% | 17 |
| 2024 | 53 | 1.3% | 15 |
| 2025 | 39 | 0.7% | 28 |
| 2020–2025 | 245 | 1.1% | 18 |
Year links open that year's refusals, entry by entry.
Tables below show each year 2020–2025; cells are shaded against their row's own peak. Change compares 2025 with 2020 and is shown only where 2020 had at least 10 refusals ("new" where it had none).
Hazard or paperwork
A refusal is a hazard finding when any of its charges is a safety one — filth, pathogens, residues, contaminants, unsafe additives — and paperwork when every charge is labelling, registration or a missing filing. One citing only charge codes FDA has not published is unclassified.
| Year | Hazard findings | Paperwork only | Unclassified | Hazard share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 17 | 58 | 0 | 22.7% |
| 2021 | 12 | 9 | 0 | 57.1% |
| 2022 | 11 | 7 | 0 | 61.1% |
| 2023 | 26 | 13 | 0 | 66.7% |
| 2024 | 32 | 21 | 0 | 60.4% |
| 2025 | 17 | 22 | 0 | 43.6% |
| 2020–2025 | 115 | 130 | 0 | 46.9% |
By industry
| FDA industry | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | 2020–2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Macaroni and Noodle Products | 51 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 57 (23.3%) | −100% |
| Vegetables and Vegetable Products rates → Leafy · Pepper · Vegetables-other |
4 | 1 | 6 | 13 | 15 | 3 | 42 (17.1%) | — |
| Candy Without Chocolate, Candy Specialties, and Chewing Gum rates → Candy |
3 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 16 | 7 | 28 (11.4%) | — |
| Fruit and Fruit Products | 3 | 0 | 3 | 12 | 1 | 3 | 22 (9.0%) | — |
| Vitamins, Minerals, Proteins, and Unconventional Dietary Specialties for Humans | 3 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 7 | 4 | 19 (7.8%) | — |
| Nuts and Edible Seeds | 1 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 10 | 17 (6.9%) | — |
| Cheese and Cheese Products | 2 | 10 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 15 (6.1%) | — |
| Bakery Products, Doughs, Bakery Mixes, and Icings rates → Bakery |
1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 8 (3.3%) | — |
| Multiple Food Dinners, Gravies, Sauces, and Specialties (Total Diet) rates → Sauces-prepared |
0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 7 (2.9%) | — |
| Chocolate and Cocoa Products | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 5 (2.0%) | — |
| Fishery/Seafood Products rates → Fish-other |
3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 4 (1.6%) | — |
| Spices, Flavors, and Salts | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 4 (1.6%) | — |
| Vegetable Oils (Includes Olive Oil) | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4 (1.6%) | — |
| Whole Grains, Milled Grain Products, and Starch | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 4 (1.6%) | — |
| Food Sweeteners (Nutritive) | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 (0.8%) | — |
| Soft Drinks and Waters | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 (0.8%) | — |
| Alcoholic Beverages | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 (0.4%) | — |
| Beverage Bases | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 (0.4%) | new |
| Coffee and Tea | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 (0.4%) | — |
| Dietary Conventional Foods and Meal Replacements | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 (0.4%) | — |
| Soups | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 (0.4%) | new |
By charge group
A refusal citing charges in two groups counts once in each, so rows can add up to more than the total.
| Charge group | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | 2020–2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Labelling (paperwork) | 53 | 7 | 5 | 19 | 22 | 21 | 127 (51.8%) | −60% |
| Unsafe additives (hazard) | 4 | 3 | 4 | 12 | 16 | 13 | 52 (21.2%) | — |
| Process and registration (paperwork) | 4 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 11 | 11 | 40 (16.3%) | — |
| Filth and insanitary conditions (hazard) | 0 | 0 | 3 | 11 | 15 | 2 | 31 (12.7%) | — |
| Pesticide residues (hazard) | 10 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 15 (6.1%) | −100% |
| Listeria monocytogenes (hazard) | 3 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8 (3.3%) | — |
| Contaminants (hazard) | 1 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 7 (2.9%) | — |
| Undeclared allergens (hazard) | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 4 (1.6%) | — |
| Salmonella (hazard) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 (0.4%) | new |
| Other charges (no group) | 2 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 5 (2.0%) | — |
Most-cited charges
FDA's own charge codes, with a plain-English label. Each is counted once per refusal.
Safety charges
| Charge | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | 2020–2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
unsafe color additive UNSAFE COL |
4 | 2 | 4 | 12 | 16 | 13 | 51 | — |
filth FILTHY |
0 | 0 | 2 | 11 | 15 | 0 | 28 | — |
pesticide residue PESTICIDE |
10 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 15 | −100% |
Listeria monocytogenes LISTERIA |
3 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8 | — |
poisonous or deleterious substance POISONOUS |
1 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | — |
undeclared allergen ALLERGEN |
0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 4 | — |
bulking agent added ADDED BULK |
0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | — |
foreign object FOREIGN OB |
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | new |
embedded object IMBED OBJT |
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | new |
insanitary conditions INSANITARY |
0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | — |
Paperwork charges
| Charge | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | 2020–2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
not to standard of identity STD IDENT |
41 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 44 | −100% |
nutrition labeling NUTRIT LBL |
9 | 4 | 4 | 6 | 6 | 12 | 41 | — |
false or misleading label FALSE |
33 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 36 | −100% |
not in English NO ENGLISH |
4 | 4 | 3 | 8 | 8 | 4 | 31 | — |
no net quantity LACKS N/C |
2 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 7 | 2 | 17 | — |
no process filing NO PROCESS |
2 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 17 | — |
color not declared COLOR LBLG |
0 | 1 | 0 | 8 | 4 | 3 | 16 | — |
ingredients not listed LIST INGRE |
4 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 16 | — |
unapproved new drug UNAPPROVED |
1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 3 | 11 | — |
no food-canning registration NEEDS FCE |
1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 9 | — |
By month
Pooled across 2020–2025. Each row is shaded against its own peak, so its season shows whatever its size. Hazard findings peak in May; Paperwork only peak in January.
Hazard or paperwork
| Kind | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hazard findings | 14 | 13 | 10 | 12 | 15 | 8 | 8 | 6 | 6 | 10 | 5 | 8 | May |
| Paperwork only | 24 | 15 | 18 | 11 | 8 | 11 | 9 | 11 | 7 | 4 | 8 | 4 | January |
By charge group
| Charge group | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Labelling | 21 | 15 | 16 | 5 | 17 | 13 | 9 | 9 | 4 | 7 | 4 | 7 | January |
| Unsafe additives | 3 | 4 | 5 | 10 | 8 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 7 | 3 | 5 | April |
| Process and registration | 4 | 3 | 6 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 2 | 3 | 2 | March |
| Filth and insanitary conditions | 10 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | January |
| Pesticide residues | 0 | 3 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | March |
Import divisions
The FDA division that handled the entry. DSWI and DNBI are the Mexican and Canadian land borders, so this says as much about the route as about the product.
| Division | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | 2020–2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DNEI — Northeast | 43 | 8 | 5 | 13 | 15 | 12 | 96 | −72% |
| DSEI — Southeast | 11 | 6 | 9 | 15 | 12 | 13 | 66 | +18% |
| DNBI — North Border, the Canadian land border | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 20 | 12 | 40 | — |
| DWCI — West Coast | 15 | 5 | 4 | 6 | 3 | 0 | 33 | −100% |
| DSWI — Southwest, the Mexican land border | 2 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 10 | — |
Method
- Source: FDA Import Refusal Report (U.S. Food and Drug Administration); every food import refusal dated 2020–2025.
- Counts are import entries, not product lines. A refusal naming several origins counts once for each, so origin shares can add up to more than 100%.
- Charge groups are this site's grouping of FDA's charge codes; a code belongs to the first group that claims it, the same rule as the hazard pages.
- A charge is what FDA cited to refuse the entry, often on appearance or documents rather than a laboratory result. Counts depend on how often each product is examined, so they are not a rate of unsafe food.
- Licence: CC-BY-4.0. Cite as "Italy: FDA food import refusals, 2020–2025", fruit-risk.com, 2026-09-20, https://fdair.fruit-risk.com/reports/italy.html.
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