Importing Food and Cosmetics
into the United States

General Information

• Protecting the Food Supply: FDA Actions on New Bioterrorism Legislation
  • Registration of Food Facilities
  • Prior Notice of Imported Foods
    • Fact Sheet on FDA's New Food Bioterrorism Regulation: Interim Final Rule - Prior Notice of Imported Food Shipments October 2003
    • Interim Final Rule: Prior Notice of Imported Food Under the Public Health Security and Bioterrorism Preparedness and Response Act of 2002 October 10, 2003
    • FDA's Prior Notice System Interface (PNSI)
• Import Program System Information
• FDA Import Procedures (also available in other languages)
  • Letter to Stakeholders - "The Bioterrorism Act": New Import for Export Provisions November 13, 2002
  • U.S. SPS Market Access Pathways for Food, Feeds, and Agricultural Products (available in PDF)
• FDA/USDA Jurisdictional Chart
• Import Alerts & Import Detention Reports
• Import for Export
• Low Acid Canned and Acidified Foods The FDA Importer's Guide (also available in other languages)
• Presidential Initiative - Safety of Imported Foods Status Report December 11, 1999
• International Activities (including Codex)

Selected Documents

• Consideration of Codex Alimentarius Standards Federal Register Notice, July 7, 1997
• Draft Guidance on Equivalence Criteria for Food Federal Register Notice, June 4, 1997
• Summary of ORA BSE Import Bulletin 99B-14 March 1, 2001

Other Related Information

• Information for FDA-Regulated Industry
• Information Materials for the Food and Cosmetics Industries
• Food and Cosmetics Compliance Programs
• Inspection, Compliance, Enforcement and Recalls
• Food Safety and Terrorism
• Other Languages

National Food Safety Programs

• National Food Safety Programs
  • Produce and Import Safety Initiative
    Guidance, Sprouts, Juices, FDA Surveys of Imported Fresh Produce

Selected Topics

• Acidified and Low Acid Canned Foods
• Biotechnology
• Ceramics
  • Food Compliance Program: Toxic Elements in Foods and Foodware - Import and Domestic
  • Ceramic Tableware from China: List of Factories Certified by China January 14, 2008
• Color Additives
• Cosmetics
  • General Information on Cosmetics
  • Imported Cosmetics Fact Sheet
• Dairy Products
  • Milk Safety References
• Dietary Supplements
• Food Code
• Food Ingredients and Packaging
  • Imported Foods: Food and Color Additives Compliance Program
• Food Labeling and Nutrition
• HACCP Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point
• Pesticides, Metals, Chemical Contaminants, & Natural Toxins
• Seafood
  • Seafood Imports and Exports
  • Fish and Fishery Product Imports: Affirmative Steps
    Lists of Foreign Processors Approved by their Governments
• Standards: Code of Federal Regulations Title 21 Food and Drugs

Other Federal Agencies with Responsibility for Imports

• Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau
• Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service
  • APHIS Plant Health, Plant Protection and Quarantine
  • International Services
  • National Center for Import and Export (NCIE) Veterinary Services Import/Export
• EPA: What the Pesticide Residue Limits are on Food
• U.S. Customs and Border Protection
• U.S. Department of Agriculture
  • Foreign Agriculture Service
  • Food Safety and Inspection Service

• National Marine Fisheries