FDA refusal charge
FDA refusal charge PB-FOOD
Appears to contain a poisonous or deleterious substance, lead, which may render it injurious to health.
PB-FOOD is the FDA import refusal charge for appears to contain a poisonous or deleterious substance, lead, which may render it injurious to health.; it cites section 402(a)(1) of the FD&C Act (801(a)(3)). FDA recorded it on 200 refused shipment lines between October 2016 and September 14, 2026, most often for tropical and pit fruit from China.
Data from FDA public records, last checked .
- 200
- refused shipment lines carry this charge
- 29
- countries of origin
- 0
- import alerts name this charge
What PB-FOOD means
SupplierRadar has not written a plain-English version of PB-FOOD yet. FDA's own statement is quoted below.
- FD&C Act section
- 402(a)(1)
- Classification
- 801(a)(3)
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)(3) in that it appears to contain a poisonous or deleterious substance, lead, which may render it injurious to health.
Countries with the most PB-FOOD refusals
Shipment lines carrying PB-FOOD, by country of origin.
Product categories with the most PB-FOOD refusals
| Category | Lines | Share of PB-FOOD |
|---|---|---|
| Fruit and Fruit Products (pit, subtropical and tropical fruits) | 93 | 47% |
| Spices, Flavors, and Salts | 40 | 20% |
| Vegetables and Vegetable Products (legumes, leaf and stem, fruit vegetables) | 12 | 6% |
| Vegetables and Vegetable Products (root and tuber vegetables, fungi) | 12 | 6% |
| Multiple Food Dinners, Gravies, Sauces, and Specialties | 11 | 6% |
| Candy without Chocolate, Candy Specialties, and Chewing Gum | 10 | 5% |
| Fruit and Fruit Products (berries, citrus and core fruits) | 9 | 5% |
| Whole Grains, Milled Grain Products, and Starch | 4 | 2% |
| Baby (Infant and Junior) Food Products | 4 | 2% |
| Vitamins, Minerals, Proteins, and Unconventional Dietary Specialties | 3 | 2% |
Latest PB-FOOD refusals
The 20 most recent refused lines, through September 14, 2026, each with its FDA source.
| Date | Firm | Product | Charges | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ningbo Songxin Foodstuffs Co., LtdNingbo, China | Orange (citrus) | PB-FOOD | Source | |
| Sazon Natural S de RL de CVZapopan, Mexico | Cumin, ground, cracked (spice) | PB-FOOD | Source | |
| Lino Remigio Silva MartinezOaxaca, Mexico | Grasshoppers | PB-FOOD | Source | |
| E-Silk Route Ventures (Pvt) Ltd.Rajagiriya, Sri Lanka | Cinnamon, cassia, ground, cracked (spice) | PB-FOOD | Source | |
| Elmar Trading & Production Co.Ltd.Hanoi, Vietnam | Cinnamon, cassia, ground, cracked (spice) | PB-FOOD | Source | |
| Dhara Foods Pvt .LtdAnand, India | Cinnamon, cassia, whole (spice) | PB-FOOD | Source | |
| Dhara Foods Pvt .LtdAnand, India | Cinnamon, cassia, whole (spice) | PB-FOOD | Source | |
| Dhara Foods Pvt .LtdAnand, India | Cinnamon, cassia, whole (spice) | PB-FOOD | Source | |
| DK Foods CompanyCan Giuoc, Vietnam | Cinnamon, cassia, ground, cracked (spice) | PB-FOOD | Source | |
| Bach Mai Agricultural Products Processing One Member Company LimitedHo Chi Minh, Vietnam | Hard candy without nuts and fruit, n.e.c. (without chocolate) | PB-FOOD | Source | |
| Bueno Alimentos, S.A. de C.V.Santa Catarina, Mexico | Mole paste | PB-FOOD | Source | |
| Bueno Alimentos, S.A. de C.V.Santa Catarina, Mexico | Mole paste | PB-FOOD | Source | |
| PT Dwi Sejahtera NusantaraTangerang Selatan, Indonesia | Cinnamon, cassia, ground, cracked (spice) | LACKS FIRMLACKS N/CPB-FOOD | Source | |
| Bueno Alimentos, S.A. de C.V.Santa Catarina, Mexico | Mole paste | FILTHYPB-FOOD | Source | |
| National FoodsKarachi, Pakistan | Mango (subtropical and tropical fruit) | PB-FOOD | Source | |
| National FoodsKarachi, Pakistan | Mango (subtropical and tropical fruit) | PB-FOOD | Source | |
| National FoodsKarachi, Pakistan | Mango (subtropical and tropical fruit) | PB-FOOD | Source | |
| National FoodsKarachi, Pakistan | Mango (subtropical and tropical fruit) | PB-FOOD | Source | |
| Vahdam Teas Pvt LtNoida, India | Cinnamon, cassia, ground, cracked (spice) | PB-FOOD | Source | |
| Honest Food ExportMahuva, India | Onion bulb (yellow, white, red, etc.), dried or paste | PB-FOOD | Source |
Questions about PB-FOOD
- What does PB-FOOD mean on an FDA refusal?
- PB-FOOD is the refusal charge “Appears to contain a poisonous or deleterious substance, lead, which may render it injurious to health.”. FDA's official statement for the charge reads: “The article is subject to refusal of admission pursuant to Section 801(a)(3) in that it appears to contain a poisonous or deleterious substance, lead, which may render it injurious to health.”
- What law does PB-FOOD cite?
- FDA's refusal charge table cites section 402(a)(1) of the FD&C Act (801(a)(3)) for PB-FOOD, and classifies the charge as 801(a)(3). The table is the Refusal Charges reference file that FDA publishes with its Data Dashboard.
- Which countries have the most PB-FOOD refusals?
- As of October 25, 2026, the countries with the most PB-FOOD refusal lines are China (39), India (23) and Mexico (22). The full list with links is in the table on this page.
- Is there an FDA import alert for PB-FOOD?
- SupplierRadar found no food import alert whose charge section names PB-FOOD. 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.