FDA refusal charge
FDA refusal charge CONTAM CAN
CONTAM CAN is the FDA import refusal charge for the article appears to be held in a container containing a poisonous or deleterious substance which may…; it cites sections 402(a)(1) and 801(a)(3) of the FD&C Act (adulteration). FDA recorded it on 2 refused shipment lines from 2 countries between October 2016 and March 4, 2021, most often for tropical and pit fruit from Chile.
Data from FDA public records, last checked .
- 2
- refused shipment lines carry this charge
- 2
- countries of origin
- 0
- import alerts name this charge
What CONTAM CAN means
SupplierRadar has not written a plain-English version of CONTAM CAN yet. FDA's own statement is quoted below.
- FD&C Act section
- 402(a)(1)801(a)(3)
- Classification
- adulteration
FDA's official statement
The article appears to be held in a container containing a poisonous or deleterious substance which may render it injurious to health.
Countries with the most CONTAM CAN refusals
Product categories with the most CONTAM CAN refusals
| Category | Lines | Share of CONTAM CAN |
|---|---|---|
| Fruit and Fruit Products (pit, subtropical and tropical fruits) | 1 | 50% |
| Vegetables and Vegetable Products (legumes, leaf and stem, fruit vegetables) | 1 | 50% |
Latest CONTAM CAN refusals
| Date | Firm | Product | Charges | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Agricola Santa Magdalena LimitadaMelipilla, Chile | Nectarine (pit fruit) | CONTAM CAN | Source | |
| Jaime PerezVillanueva, Mexico | Pepper, hot, n.e.c. (fruit used as vegetable) | CONTAM CANLACKS FIRMLACKS N/C+1 | Source |
Questions about CONTAM CAN
- What does CONTAM CAN mean on an FDA refusal?
- CONTAM CAN is the refusal charge “The article appears to be held in a container containing a poisonous or deleterious substance which may…”. FDA's official statement for the charge reads: “The article appears to be held in a container containing a poisonous or deleterious substance which may render it injurious to health.”
- What law does CONTAM CAN cite?
- FDA's refusal charge table cites sections 402(a)(1) and 801(a)(3) of the FD&C Act (adulteration) for CONTAM CAN, 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 CONTAM CAN refusals?
- As of October 26, 2026, the countries with the most CONTAM CAN refusal lines are Chile (1) and Mexico (1). The full list with links is in the table on this page.
- Is there an FDA import alert for CONTAM CAN?
- SupplierRadar found no food import alert whose charge section names CONTAM CAN. 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.