What does CONTAINER mean on an FDA refusal?

CONTAINER is the refusal charge “The container appears to be composed, in whole or in part, of a poisonous or deleterious substance which may…”. FDA's official statement for the charge reads: “The container appears to be composed, in whole or in part, of a poisonous or deleterious substance which may render the contents injurious to health.”

What law does CONTAINER cite?

FDA's refusal charge table cites sections 402(a)(6) and 801(a)(3) of the FD&C Act (adulteration) for CONTAINER, and classifies the charge as adulteration. The table is the Refusal Charges reference file that FDA publishes with its Data Dashboard.

Which countries have the most CONTAINER refusals?

As of October 26, 2026, the countries with the most CONTAINER refusal lines are Mexico (2), China (1) and Trinidad and Tobago (1). The full list with links is in the table on this page.

Is there an FDA import alert for CONTAINER?

SupplierRadar found no food import alert whose charge section names CONTAINER. An import alert is a list of firms; a charge code is the reason recorded on one refused shipment line.

FDA refusal charge

FDA refusal charge CONTAINER

The container appears to be composed, in whole or in part, of a poisonous or deleterious substance which may…

CONTAINER is the FDA import refusal charge for the container appears to be composed, in whole or in part, of a poisonous or deleterious substance which may…; it cites sections 402(a)(6) and 801(a)(3) of the FD&C Act (adulteration). FDA recorded it on 4 refused shipment lines from 3 countries between October 2016 and March 28, 2022, most often for candy and chewing gum from Mexico.

Data from FDA public records, last checked October 26, 2026.

4
refused shipment lines carry this charge: 3
countries of origin: 0
import alerts name this charge

What CONTAINER means

SupplierRadar has not written a plain-English version of CONTAINER yet. FDA's own statement is quoted below.

FD&C Act section: 402(a)(6)801(a)(3)
Classification: adulteration

FDA's official statement

Copied unchanged from FDA's Refusal Charges reference table.

The container appears to be composed, in whole or in part, of a poisonous or deleterious substance which may render the contents injurious to health.

CONTAINER · 402(a)(6), 801(a)(3); ADULTERATIONFDA reference table (CSV)

Countries with the most CONTAINER refusals

Shipment lines carrying CONTAINER, by country of origin.

CONTAINER refusal lines by country
Country	Lines	Share of CONTAINER
Mexico	2	50%
China	1	25%
Trinidad and Tobago	1	25%

Product categories with the most CONTAINER refusals

CONTAINER refusal lines by product category
Category	Lines	Share of CONTAINER
Candy without Chocolate, Candy Specialties, and Chewing Gum	3	75%
Dressings and Condiments	1	25%

Latest CONTAINER refusals

The 4 most recent refused lines, through March 28, 2022, each with its FDA source.

Latest FDA refusals carrying CONTAINER
Date	Firm	Product	Charges
Mar 28, 2022	Fabrica de Dulces Ravi, S.A. de C.V.Monterrey, Mexico	Jellied candy, soft (jelly beans, gum drops, etc.), without nuts and fruit (without chocolate)	CONTAINER UNSAFE ADD POISONOUS	Source
Mar 28, 2022	Fabrica de Dulces Ravi, S.A. de C.V.Monterrey, Mexico	Jellied candy, soft (jelly beans, gum drops, etc.), without nuts and fruit (without chocolate)	CONTAINER UNSAFE ADD POISONOUS	Source
Jan 28, 2020	Zi Jing Yuk Hin Enterprise Co., LtdHeyuan, China	Hard candy without nuts and fruit, n.e.c. (without chocolate)	CONTAINER UNSAFE ADD	Source
May 4, 2017	National Canners LimitedArima, Trinidad and Tobago	Pepper sauce (hot, mild, etc.)	CONTAINER	Source

Questions about CONTAINER

What does CONTAINER mean on an FDA refusal?: CONTAINER is the refusal charge “The container appears to be composed, in whole or in part, of a poisonous or deleterious substance which may…”. FDA's official statement for the charge reads: “The container appears to be composed, in whole or in part, of a poisonous or deleterious substance which may render the contents injurious to health.”
What law does CONTAINER cite?: FDA's refusal charge table cites sections 402(a)(6) and 801(a)(3) of the FD&C Act (adulteration) for CONTAINER, and classifies the charge as adulteration. The table is the Refusal Charges reference file that FDA publishes with its Data Dashboard.
Which countries have the most CONTAINER refusals?: As of October 26, 2026, the countries with the most CONTAINER refusal lines are Mexico (2), China (1) and Trinidad and Tobago (1). The full list with links is in the table on this page.
Is there an FDA import alert for CONTAINER?: SupplierRadar found no food import alert whose charge section names CONTAINER. An import alert is a list of firms; a charge code is the reason recorded on one refused shipment line.

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SupplierRadar is not affiliated with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Data comes from public FDA records and may contain errors. This is not legal advice; importers remain responsible for their supplier evaluations.