Turkey: FDA food import refusals, 2020–2025
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Turkey was the origin of 420 of 22,156 US food import refusals in 2020–2025 (1.9%), ranking 10th of 146 origins. 57% were hazard findings and 43% paperwork alone. 26% concerned vitamins, minerals, proteins, and unconventional dietary specialties for humans; the most-cited safety charge was Salmonella, and the most-cited paperwork charge nutrition labeling.
Every US food import refusal naming Turkey 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 | 39 | 1.4% | 14 |
| 2021 | 128 | 4.4% | 6 |
| 2022 | 52 | 1.5% | 10 |
| 2023 | 53 | 1.5% | 13 |
| 2024 | 55 | 1.4% | 13 |
| 2025 | 93 | 1.7% | 12 |
| 2020–2025 | 420 | 1.9% | 10 |
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 | 27 | 12 | 0 | 69.2% |
| 2021 | 46 | 82 | 0 | 35.9% |
| 2022 | 30 | 22 | 0 | 57.7% |
| 2023 | 40 | 13 | 0 | 75.5% |
| 2024 | 34 | 21 | 0 | 61.8% |
| 2025 | 64 | 29 | 0 | 68.8% |
| 2020–2025 | 241 | 179 | 0 | 57.4% |
By industry
| FDA industry | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | 2020–2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vitamins, Minerals, Proteins, and Unconventional Dietary Specialties for Humans rates → Herbals-botanicals · Supplements |
7 | 71 | 11 | 5 | 9 | 6 | 109 (26.0%) | — |
| Fruit and Fruit Products rates → Berries-grapes · Citrus · Fruit-other · Stone-fruit · Tropical |
5 | 8 | 9 | 28 | 18 | 19 | 87 (20.7%) | — |
| Nuts and Edible Seeds rates → Groundnut · Hazelnut · Other-nuts · Pistachio · Sesame · Sunflower |
9 | 15 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 15 | 48 (11.4%) | — |
| Candy Without Chocolate, Candy Specialties, and Chewing Gum rates → Candy |
5 | 10 | 9 | 6 | 5 | 7 | 42 (10.0%) | — |
| Vegetables and Vegetable Products rates → Leafy · Pepper · Vegetables-other |
1 | 5 | 6 | 3 | 4 | 9 | 28 (6.7%) | — |
| Bakery Products, Doughs, Bakery Mixes, and Icings | 1 | 5 | 5 | 3 | 6 | 4 | 24 (5.7%) | — |
| Chocolate and Cocoa Products rates → Chocolate-cocoa |
1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 15 | 17 (4.0%) | — |
| Spices, Flavors, and Salts | 5 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 12 (2.9%) | — |
| Food Sweeteners (Nutritive) rates → | 2 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 10 (2.4%) | — |
| Gelatin, Rennet, Pudding Mixes, and Pie Fillings | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 6 (1.4%) | — |
| Whole Grains, Milled Grain Products, and Starch rates → Rice · Wheat |
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 6 (1.4%) | new |
| Fishery/Seafood Products | 0 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 5 (1.2%) | — |
| Vegetable Oils (Includes Olive Oil) | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 5 (1.2%) | — |
| Beverage Bases | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 4 (1.0%) | — |
| Multiple Food Dinners, Gravies, Sauces, and Specialties (Total Diet) | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 4 (1.0%) | — |
| Soft Drinks and Waters | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 4 (1.0%) | — |
| Cheese and Cheese Products | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 (0.5%) | — |
| Dietary Conventional Foods and Meal Replacements | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 (0.5%) | — |
| Snack Food Items (Flour, Meal, or Vegetable Base) | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 (0.5%) | — |
| Dressings and Condiments | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 (0.2%) | new |
| Macaroni and Noodle Products | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 (0.2%) | — |
| Milk, Butter, and Dried Milk Products | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 (0.2%) | — |
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) | 16 | 41 | 20 | 15 | 29 | 33 | 154 (36.7%) | +106% |
| Process and registration (paperwork) | 6 | 61 | 18 | 6 | 8 | 15 | 114 (27.1%) | — |
| Salmonella (hazard) | 16 | 18 | 6 | 2 | 2 | 21 | 65 (15.5%) | +31% |
| Unsafe additives (hazard) | 4 | 12 | 10 | 8 | 10 | 19 | 63 (15.0%) | — |
| Pesticide residues (hazard) | 5 | 8 | 10 | 7 | 4 | 14 | 48 (11.4%) | — |
| Filth and insanitary conditions (hazard) | 1 | 4 | 3 | 14 | 7 | 6 | 35 (8.3%) | — |
| Contaminants (hazard) | 2 | 4 | 1 | 6 | 9 | 4 | 26 (6.2%) | — |
| Undeclared allergens (hazard) | 0 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 11 (2.6%) | — |
| Mycotoxins (hazard) | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 7 (1.7%) | — |
| Veterinary drug residues (hazard) | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 (0.7%) | — |
| Other charges (no group) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 (0.5%) | — |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Salmonella SALMONELLA |
16 | 18 | 6 | 2 | 2 | 21 | 65 | +31% |
unsafe color additive UNSAFE COL |
3 | 6 | 9 | 7 | 8 | 17 | 50 | — |
pesticide residue PESTICIDE |
5 | 8 | 10 | 7 | 4 | 14 | 48 | — |
filth FILTHY |
1 | 2 | 1 | 14 | 6 | 1 | 25 | — |
poisonous or deleterious substance POISONOUS |
0 | 4 | 1 | 5 | 9 | 4 | 23 | — |
unsafe food additive UNSAFE ADD |
1 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 14 | — |
undeclared allergen ALLERGEN |
0 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 11 | — |
insanitary plant MFR INSAN |
0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 6 | — |
insanitary handling MFR INJ |
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 5 | new |
aflatoxin AFLATOXIN |
1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 4 | — |
Paperwork charges
| Charge | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | 2020–2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
nutrition labeling NUTRIT LBL |
8 | 27 | 12 | 11 | 16 | 20 | 94 | — |
unapproved new drug UNAPPROVED |
6 | 59 | 8 | 4 | 7 | 2 | 86 | — |
no net quantity LACKS N/C |
2 | 6 | 10 | 6 | 10 | 16 | 50 | — |
not in English NO ENGLISH |
2 | 8 | 9 | 2 | 14 | 9 | 44 | — |
no manufacturer name LACKS FIRM |
2 | 14 | 1 | 2 | 5 | 1 | 25 | — |
ingredients not listed LIST INGRE |
3 | 4 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 7 | 23 | — |
color not declared COLOR LBLG |
2 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 10 | 18 | — |
no process filing NO PROCESS |
0 | 2 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 9 | 18 | — |
labeling LABELING |
0 | 7 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 15 | — |
label not conspicuous INCONSPICU |
1 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 12 | — |
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 August; Paperwork only peak in August.
Hazard or paperwork
| Kind | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hazard findings | 13 | 15 | 19 | 17 | 19 | 22 | 24 | 33 | 16 | 23 | 11 | 29 | August |
| Paperwork only | 6 | 10 | 20 | 6 | 5 | 23 | 20 | 31 | 13 | 12 | 17 | 16 | August |
By charge group
| Charge group | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Labelling | 7 | 11 | 18 | 7 | 6 | 13 | 14 | 21 | 10 | 11 | 15 | 21 | August |
| Process and registration | 4 | 4 | 13 | 1 | 1 | 19 | 14 | 23 | 9 | 8 | 9 | 9 | August |
| Salmonella | 3 | 5 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 9 | 6 | 5 | 8 | 9 | 1 | 4 | June |
| Unsafe additives | 4 | 6 | 7 | 3 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 12 | 2 | 8 | 3 | 8 | August |
| Pesticide residues | 2 | 3 | 3 | 5 | 8 | 2 | 9 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 5 | July |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DSEI — Southeast | 9 | 67 | 13 | 9 | 20 | 29 | 147 | — |
| DNEI — Northeast | 19 | 22 | 22 | 29 | 16 | 38 | 146 | +100% |
| DNBI — North Border, the Canadian land border | 7 | 26 | 10 | 8 | 13 | 17 | 81 | — |
| DWCI — West Coast | 3 | 10 | 6 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 33 | — |
| DSWI — Southwest, the Mexican land border | 1 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 13 | — |
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%. FDA records this origin as Turkey and Türkiye; both are counted here.
- 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 "Turkey: FDA food import refusals, 2020–2025", fruit-risk.com, 2026-09-20, https://fdair.fruit-risk.com/reports/turkey.html.
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