United Kingdom: FDA food import refusals, 2020–2025
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United Kingdom was the origin of 319 of 22,156 US food import refusals in 2020–2025 (1.4%), ranking 13th of 146 origins. 38% were hazard findings and 62% paperwork alone. 35% concerned vitamins, minerals, proteins, and unconventional dietary specialties for humans; the most-cited safety charge was unsafe color additive, and the most-cited paperwork charge nutrition labeling.
Every US food import refusal naming United Kingdom 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 | 59 | 2.2% | 9 |
| 2021 | 24 | 0.8% | 20 |
| 2022 | 35 | 1.0% | 20 |
| 2023 | 37 | 1.1% | 18 |
| 2024 | 59 | 1.5% | 12 |
| 2025 | 105 | 1.9% | 9 |
| 2020–2025 | 319 | 1.4% | 13 |
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 | 11 | 48 | 0 | 18.6% |
| 2021 | 7 | 17 | 0 | 29.2% |
| 2022 | 22 | 13 | 0 | 62.9% |
| 2023 | 9 | 28 | 0 | 24.3% |
| 2024 | 11 | 48 | 0 | 18.6% |
| 2025 | 60 | 45 | 0 | 57.1% |
| 2020–2025 | 120 | 199 | 0 | 37.6% |
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 |
25 | 11 | 12 | 21 | 25 | 19 | 113 (35.4%) | −24% |
| Candy Without Chocolate, Candy Specialties, and Chewing Gum rates → Candy |
2 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 7 | 55 | 73 (22.9%) | — |
| Dietary Conventional Foods and Meal Replacements | 12 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 11 | 6 | 31 (9.7%) | −50% |
| Baby (Infant and Junior) Food Products rates → | 7 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 8 | 28 (8.8%) | — |
| Chocolate and Cocoa Products rates → Chocolate-cocoa |
3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 12 (3.8%) | — |
| Bakery Products, Doughs, Bakery Mixes, and Icings | 2 | 2 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 11 (3.4%) | — |
| Vegetables and Vegetable Products rates → Pepper · Vegetables-other |
3 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 11 (3.4%) | — |
| Soft Drinks and Waters rates → Soft-drinks |
1 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 10 (3.1%) | — |
| Fruit and Fruit Products | 0 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 7 (2.2%) | — |
| Nuts and Edible Seeds rates → Other-nuts |
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 4 (1.3%) | — |
| Milk, Butter, and Dried Milk Products | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 3 (0.9%) | — |
| Spices, Flavors, and Salts | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 (0.9%) | — |
| Cereal Preparations, Breakfast Foods | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 (0.6%) | — |
| Filled Milk and Imitation Milk Products | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 (0.6%) | — |
| Whole Grains, Milled Grain Products, and Starch | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 (0.6%) | — |
| Beverage Bases | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 (0.3%) | — |
| Color Additives for Foods, Drugs, and Cosmetics | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 (0.3%) | — |
| Dressings and Condiments rates → | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 (0.3%) | — |
| Food Sweeteners (Nutritive) | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 (0.3%) | — |
| Macaroni and Noodle Products | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 (0.3%) | — |
| Snack Food Items (Flour, Meal, or Vegetable Base) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 (0.3%) | — |
| Vegetable Oils (Includes Olive Oil) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 (0.3%) | — |
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) | 47 | 12 | 15 | 27 | 40 | 38 | 179 (56.1%) | −19% |
| Process and registration (paperwork) | 30 | 9 | 5 | 11 | 24 | 25 | 104 (32.6%) | −17% |
| Unsafe additives (hazard) | 9 | 7 | 11 | 6 | 5 | 54 | 92 (28.8%) | — |
| Filth and insanitary conditions (hazard) | 1 | 0 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 11 (3.4%) | — |
| Undeclared allergens (hazard) | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 8 (2.5%) | — |
| Contaminants (hazard) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 5 (1.6%) | — |
| Salmonella (hazard) | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 (0.6%) | — |
| Veterinary drug residues (hazard) | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 (0.6%) | — |
| Pesticide residues (hazard) | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 (0.3%) | — |
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 |
7 | 7 | 10 | 3 | 3 | 53 | 83 | — |
undeclared allergen ALLERGEN |
1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 8 | — |
filth FILTHY |
0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 6 | — |
poisonous substance POISONORD |
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 5 | — |
unsafe food additive UNSAFE ADD |
1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 5 | — |
unsafe dietary ingredient UNSFDIETSP |
1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 4 | — |
embedded object IMBED OBJT |
0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | — |
unapproved animal drug NEW VET DR |
0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | — |
Salmonella SALMONELLA |
0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | — |
insanitary conditions INSANITARY |
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | new |
Paperwork charges
| Charge | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | 2020–2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
nutrition labeling NUTRIT LBL |
35 | 7 | 4 | 13 | 30 | 25 | 114 | −29% |
unapproved new drug UNAPPROVED |
26 | 7 | 5 | 9 | 22 | 13 | 82 | −50% |
no net quantity LACKS N/C |
9 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 12 | 18 | 46 | — |
no contact information NCONTACT |
7 | 1 | 2 | 9 | 11 | 1 | 31 | — |
supplement labeling DIETARYLBL |
9 | 0 | 2 | 6 | 9 | 3 | 29 | — |
ingredients not listed LIST INGRE |
3 | 0 | 5 | 7 | 5 | 6 | 26 | — |
no manufacturer name LACKS FIRM |
4 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 9 | 3 | 23 | — |
color not declared COLOR LBLG |
2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 8 | 15 | — |
false or misleading label FALSE |
3 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 15 | — |
labeling LABELING |
3 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 15 | — |
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 October; Paperwork only peak in August.
Hazard or paperwork
| Kind | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hazard findings | 4 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 6 | 6 | 8 | 12 | 16 | 22 | 15 | 14 | October |
| Paperwork only | 13 | 9 | 13 | 19 | 11 | 10 | 12 | 34 | 10 | 29 | 21 | 18 | August |
By charge group
| Charge group | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Labelling | 15 | 8 | 9 | 17 | 8 | 11 | 11 | 28 | 11 | 27 | 16 | 18 | August |
| Process and registration | 4 | 4 | 8 | 10 | 4 | 2 | 9 | 21 | 2 | 21 | 12 | 7 | August |
| Unsafe additives | 0 | 5 | 6 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 6 | 8 | 15 | 19 | 13 | 10 | October |
| Filth and insanitary conditions | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | May |
| Undeclared allergens | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | June |
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 | 34 | 9 | 15 | 26 | 45 | 73 | 202 | +115% |
| DNEI — Northeast | 8 | 3 | 9 | 5 | 7 | 24 | 56 | — |
| DNBI — North Border, the Canadian land border | 9 | 7 | 8 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 37 | — |
| DWCI — West Coast | 6 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 17 | — |
| DSWI — Southwest, the Mexican land border | 2 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 7 | — |
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 "United Kingdom: FDA food import refusals, 2020–2025", fruit-risk.com, 2026-09-20, https://fdair.fruit-risk.com/reports/united-kingdom.html.
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