What does FORBIDDEN mean on an FDA refusal?

FORBIDDEN is the refusal charge “Appears to be forbidden or restricted in sale in the country in which it was produced or from which it was…”. FDA's official statement for the charge reads: “The article is subject to refusal of admission pursuant to Section 801(a)(2) in that it appears to be forbidden or restricted in sale in the country in which it was produced or from which it was exported.”

What law does FORBIDDEN cite?

FDA's refusal charge table cites section 801(a)(2) of the FD&C Act (forbidden or restricted in sale) for FORBIDDEN, and classifies the charge as forbidden or restricted in sale. The table is the Refusal Charges reference file that FDA publishes with its Data Dashboard.

Which countries have the most FORBIDDEN refusals?

As of October 25, 2026, the countries with the most FORBIDDEN refusal lines are Canada (80), India (6) and United Kingdom (4). The full list with links is in the table on this page.

Is there an FDA import alert for FORBIDDEN?

SupplierRadar found no food import alert whose charge section names FORBIDDEN. 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 FORBIDDEN

Appears to be forbidden or restricted in sale in the country in which it was produced or from which it was…

FORBIDDEN is the FDA import refusal charge for appears to be forbidden or restricted in sale in the country in which it was produced or from which it was…; it cites section 801(a)(2) of the FD&C Act (forbidden or restricted in sale). FDA recorded it on 93 refused shipment lines from 4 countries between October 2016 and April 2, 2025, most often for dietary supplements from Canada.

Data from FDA public records, last checked October 25, 2026.

93
refused shipment lines carry this charge: 4
countries of origin: 0
import alerts name this charge

What FORBIDDEN means

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

FD&C Act section: 801(a)(2)
Classification: forbidden or restricted in sale

FDA's official statement

Copied unchanged from FDA's Refusal Charges reference table.

The article is subject to refusal of admission pursuant to Section 801(a)(2) in that it appears to be forbidden or restricted in sale in the country in which it was produced or from which it was exported.

FORBIDDEN · 801(a)(2); FORBIDDEN OR RESTRICTED IN SALEFDA reference table (CSV)

Countries with the most FORBIDDEN refusals

Shipment lines carrying FORBIDDEN, by country of origin.

FORBIDDEN refusal lines by country
Country	Lines	Share of FORBIDDEN
Canada	80	86%
India	6	6%
United Kingdom	4	4%
Japan	3	3%

Product categories with the most FORBIDDEN refusals

FORBIDDEN refusal lines by product category
Category	Lines	Share of FORBIDDEN
Vitamins, Minerals, Proteins, and Unconventional Dietary Specialties	80	86%
Vegetable Oils (Includes Olive Oil)	4	4%
Cereal Preparations, Breakfast Foods	3	3%
Vegetables and Vegetable Products (root and tuber vegetables, fungi)	3	3%
Macaroni and Noodle Products	2	2%
Beverage Bases	1	1%

Latest FORBIDDEN refusals

The 20 most recent refused lines, through April 2, 2025, each with its FDA source.

Latest FDA refusals carrying FORBIDDEN
Date	Firm	Product	Charges
Apr 2, 2025	Nestle IndiaNew Delhi, India	Noodles and noodle products, n.e.c	FORBIDDEN NUTRIT LBL	Source
Apr 2, 2025	Nestle IndiaNew Delhi, India	Noodles and noodle products, n.e.c	UNSAFE ADD FALSE FORBIDDEN	Source
Jun 13, 2024	Herbaland Naturals IncRichmond, Canada	Vitamin, mineral, proteins and unconventional dietary specialities for humans and animals, n.e.c	FILTHY FORBIDDEN	Source
Jun 13, 2024	Herbaland Naturals IncRichmond, Canada	Vitamin, mineral, proteins and unconventional dietary specialities for humans and animals, n.e.c	FILTHY FORBIDDEN	Source
Jun 13, 2024	Herbaland Naturals IncRichmond, Canada	Vitamin, mineral, proteins and unconventional dietary specialities for humans and animals, n.e.c	FILTHY FORBIDDEN	Source
Jun 13, 2024	Herbaland Naturals IncRichmond, Canada	Vitamin, mineral, proteins and unconventional dietary specialities for humans and animals, n.e.c	FILTHY FORBIDDEN	Source
Jun 13, 2024	Herbaland Naturals IncRichmond, Canada	Vitamin, mineral, proteins and unconventional dietary specialities for humans and animals, n.e.c	FILTHY FORBIDDEN	Source
Jun 13, 2024	Herbaland Naturals IncRichmond, Canada	Vitamin, mineral, proteins and unconventional dietary specialities for humans and animals, n.e.c	FILTHY FORBIDDEN	Source
Jun 13, 2024	Herbaland Naturals IncRichmond, Canada	Vitamin, mineral, proteins and unconventional dietary specialities for humans and animals, n.e.c	FILTHY FORBIDDEN	Source
Jun 13, 2024	Herbaland Naturals IncRichmond, Canada	Vitamin, mineral, proteins and unconventional dietary specialities for humans and animals, n.e.c	FILTHY FORBIDDEN	Source
Jun 11, 2024	Herbaland Naturals IncRichmond, Canada	Vitamin, mineral, proteins and unconventional dietary specialities for humans and animals, n.e.c	FILTHY FORBIDDEN	Source
Jun 11, 2024	Herbaland Naturals IncRichmond, Canada	Vitamin, n.e.c	FILTHY FORBIDDEN	Source
Jun 11, 2024	Herbaland Naturals IncRichmond, Canada	Vitamin, n.e.c	FILTHY FORBIDDEN	Source
Jun 11, 2024	Herbaland Naturals IncRichmond, Canada	Vitamin, mineral, proteins and unconventional dietary specialities for humans and animals, n.e.c	FILTHY FORBIDDEN	Source
Jun 11, 2024	Herbaland Naturals IncRichmond, Canada	Vitamin, mineral, proteins and unconventional dietary specialities for humans and animals, n.e.c	FILTHY FORBIDDEN	Source
Jun 11, 2024	Herbaland Naturals IncRichmond, Canada	Vitamin, mineral, proteins and unconventional dietary specialities for humans and animals, n.e.c	FILTHY FORBIDDEN	Source
Jun 11, 2024	Herbaland Naturals IncRichmond, Canada	Vitamin, mineral, proteins and unconventional dietary specialities for humans and animals, n.e.c	FILTHY FORBIDDEN	Source
Jun 11, 2024	Herbaland Naturals IncRichmond, Canada	Vitamin, n.e.c	FILTHY FORBIDDEN	Source
Jun 11, 2024	Herbaland Naturals IncRichmond, Canada	Vitamin, mineral, proteins and unconventional dietary specialities for humans and animals, n.e.c	FILTHY FORBIDDEN	Source
Jun 11, 2024	Herbaland Naturals IncRichmond, Canada	Vitamin, mineral, proteins and unconventional dietary specialities for humans and animals, n.e.c	FILTHY FORBIDDEN	Source

Questions about FORBIDDEN

What does FORBIDDEN mean on an FDA refusal?: FORBIDDEN is the refusal charge “Appears to be forbidden or restricted in sale in the country in which it was produced or from which it was…”. FDA's official statement for the charge reads: “The article is subject to refusal of admission pursuant to Section 801(a)(2) in that it appears to be forbidden or restricted in sale in the country in which it was produced or from which it was exported.”
What law does FORBIDDEN cite?: FDA's refusal charge table cites section 801(a)(2) of the FD&C Act (forbidden or restricted in sale) for FORBIDDEN, and classifies the charge as forbidden or restricted in sale. The table is the Refusal Charges reference file that FDA publishes with its Data Dashboard.
Which countries have the most FORBIDDEN refusals?: As of October 25, 2026, the countries with the most FORBIDDEN refusal lines are Canada (80), India (6) and United Kingdom (4). The full list with links is in the table on this page.
Is there an FDA import alert for FORBIDDEN?: SupplierRadar found no food import alert whose charge section names FORBIDDEN. 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.