FDA refusal charge
FDA refusal charge POISONOUS
Poisonous or deleterious substance
POISONOUS is the FDA import refusal charge for poisonous or deleterious substance; it cites sections 402(a)(1) and 801(a)(3) of the FD&C Act (adulteration). FDA recorded it on 2,420 refused shipment lines between October 2016 and October 15, 2026, most often for bakery products from China.
Data from FDA public records, last checked .
- 2,420
- refused shipment lines carry this charge
- 55
- countries of origin
- 18
- import alerts name this charge
What POISONOUS means
The product appeared to bear or contain a poisonous or deleterious substance which may render it injurious to health.
This restates FDA's statement. It says what the charge means, never why a particular shipment was refused.
- FD&C Act section
- 402(a)(1)801(a)(3)
- Classification
- adulteration
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 bear or contain a poisonous or deleterious substance which may render the article injurious to health. Contains:
Import alerts that name POISONOUS
The charge section of each alert names this code. An alert lists firms; a charge is the reason recorded on one refused line.
| Alert | Covers | Red | Green |
|---|---|---|---|
| 99-42 | Foods: heavy metal (toxic element) contamination | 207 | |
| 99-23 | Produce: contamination with human pathogens | 165 | |
| 99-43 | Ready-to-eat foods: insanitary conditions | 161 | |
| 12-10 | Cheese: microbiological contamination | 106 | |
| 54-16 | Foods/supplements with active pharmaceutical ingredient | 98 | |
| 99-29 | Vegetable protein products from China: melamine | 38 | |
| 99-31 | Food products: melamine and melamine analogs | 25 | |
| 16-50 | Molluscan bivalve shellfish | 21 | |
| 34-02 | Confectionery with non-nutritive components | 21 | |
| 40-05 | Adulterated and misbranded infant formula | 17 | |
| 99-53 | Foods: naturally occurring toxins | 13 | |
| 31-03 | Guanabana (soursop) | 12 | |
| 99-48 | Foods Due to Chemical Contamination | 8 | |
| 16-137 | Seafood Due to Viral Contamination | 6 | |
| 25-02 | Morel Mushrooms Due to Adulteration | 1 | |
| 54-07 | Germanium Supplements for Human Consumption | 1 | |
| 54-10 | Bulk/finished dietary supplements products | 1 | |
| 72-06 | Cat food products due to the presence of propylene glycol | 1 |
Countries with the most POISONOUS refusals
Shipment lines carrying POISONOUS, by country of origin.
| Country | Lines | Share of POISONOUS |
|---|---|---|
| China | 888 | 37% |
| India | 575 | 24% |
| Mexico | 131 | 5% |
| South Korea | 111 | 5% |
| United Arab Emirates | 100 | 4% |
| Vietnam | 73 | 3% |
| Canada | 57 | 2% |
| Turkey | 42 | 2% |
| Pakistan | 36 | 1% |
| Taiwan | 36 | 1% |
Product categories with the most POISONOUS refusals
| Category | Lines | Share of POISONOUS |
|---|---|---|
| Bakery Products, Doughs, Bakery Mixes, and Icings | 425 | 18% |
| Spices, Flavors, and Salts | 276 | 11% |
| Snack Food Items | 271 | 11% |
| Vegetables and Vegetable Products (root and tuber vegetables, fungi) | 168 | 7% |
| Vegetables and Vegetable Products (legumes, leaf and stem, fruit vegetables) | 167 | 7% |
| Fruit and Fruit Products (pit, subtropical and tropical fruits) | 165 | 7% |
| Nuts and Edible Seeds | 158 | 7% |
| Fishery/Seafood Products | 98 | 4% |
| Chocolate and Cocoa Products | 92 | 4% |
| Vitamins, Minerals, Proteins, and Unconventional Dietary Specialties | 71 | 3% |
Latest POISONOUS refusals
The 20 most recent refused lines, through October 15, 2026, each with its FDA source.
| Date | Firm | Product | Charges | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shijiazhuang Xinyuan Drink Co.,LtdShijiazhuang, China | Soybean flour, meal, or powder | POISONOUSMELAMINEUNFIT4FOOD | Source | |
| Shijiazhuang Xinyuan Drink Co.,LtdShijiazhuang, China | Soybean flour, meal, or powder | POISONOUSMELAMINEUNFIT4FOOD | Source | |
| Aung Chan Aye (Store)Mandalay, Myanmar | Palm nut Areca, areca nut or betel nut, subtropical and tropical fruit, dried or paste | POISONOUS | Source | |
| Lucky Shing Company LtdLong An Province, Vietnam | Soursop (other fruit purees) | POISONOUS | Source | |
| Jack Hua Co., LtdBangkok, Thailand | Whole spice, n.e.c | POISONOUS | Source | |
| Taiwan Shuntai Food Co., Ltd.Ta Tsun, Taiwan | Prunes (dried plums) (pit fruit) | POISONOUS | Source | |
| Taiwan Shuntai Food Co., Ltd.Ta Tsun, Taiwan | Prunes (dried plums) (pit fruit) | POISONOUS | Source | |
| Sinji Soosan Co., Ltd.Wando, South Korea | Seaweed, dried or paste | POISONOUS | Source | |
| Sinji Soosan Co., Ltd.Wando, South Korea | Seaweed, dried or paste | POISONOUS | Source | |
| Expert Dried Food Co LtdSamut Songkhram, Thailand | Betel nut, in shell | POISONOUS | Source | |
| Expert Dried Food Co., LtdMueang, Thailand | Betel nut, in shell | POISONOUS | Source | |
| Expert Dried Food Co LtdSamut Songkhram, Thailand | Betel nut, in shell | POISONOUS | Source | |
| Panida Food Co., LtdKhon Kaen, Thailand | Palm nut Areca, areca nut or betel nut, subtropical and tropical fruit, dried or paste | POISONOUS | Source | |
| Sinji Soosan Co., Ltd.Wando, South Korea | Seaweed, dried or paste | POISONOUS | Source | |
| Sinji Soosan Co., Ltd.Wando, South Korea | Seaweed, dried or paste | POISONOUS | Source | |
| Sinji Soosan Co., Ltd.Wando, South Korea | Seaweed, dried or paste | POISONOUS | Source | |
| Sinji Soosan Co., Ltd.Wando, South Korea | Seaweed, dried or paste | POISONOUS | Source | |
| Sinji Soosan Co., Ltd.Wando, South Korea | Seaweed, dried or paste | POISONOUS | Source | |
| Sinji Soosan Co., Ltd.Wando, South Korea | Seaweed, dried or paste | POISONOUS | Source | |
| Yashvi FoodsGujarat, India | Betel nut, shelled | POISONOUS | Source |
Questions about POISONOUS
- What does POISONOUS mean on an FDA refusal?
- POISONOUS is the refusal charge “Poisonous or deleterious substance”. The product appeared to bear or contain a poisonous or deleterious substance which may render it injurious to health.
- What law does POISONOUS cite?
- FDA's refusal charge table cites sections 402(a)(1) and 801(a)(3) of the FD&C Act (adulteration) for POISONOUS, 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 POISONOUS refusals?
- As of October 26, 2026, the countries with the most POISONOUS refusal lines are China (888), India (575) and Mexico (131). The full list with links is in the table on this page.
- Is there an FDA import alert for POISONOUS?
- Yes. 18 FDA import alerts name POISONOUS as a charge code, including Import Alert 99-42 (Foods: heavy metal (toxic element) contamination), Import Alert 99-23 (Produce: contamination with human pathogens), Import Alert 99-43 (Ready-to-eat foods: insanitary conditions) and Import Alert 12-10 (Cheese: microbiological contamination). An import alert is a list of firms; a charge code is the reason recorded on one refused shipment line.
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