FDA import refusals
FDA import refusals: seafood from Brazil
FDA category: Fishery/Seafood Products · October 2016 to October 13, 2026
FDA refused 581 seafood shipment lines from Brazil between October 2016 and October 13, 2026, 4 of them in 2026; the most refused products were snapper and spiny lobster, most often for FILTHY (filthy, putrid or decomposed substance).
Data from FDA public records, last checked .
- 581
- seafood lines refused since October 2016
- 4
- refused so far in 2026
- 10
- firms with the most records, listed below
Seafood refusals from Brazil by year
Shipment lines FDA refused each year. The table has the same numbers as the chart.
| Year | Refusal lines | vs prior year |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 (to date) | 4 | |
| 2025 | 7 | +75% |
| 2024 | 4 | -76% |
| 2023 | 17 | -59% |
| 2022 | 41 | -55% |
| 2021 | 92 | +51% |
| 2020 | 61 | -73% |
| 2019 | 224 | +293% |
| 2018 | 57 | +97% |
| 2017 | 29 | |
| 2016 (from Oct) | 45 |
Snapper refusals from Brazil
FDA refused 364 snapper lines from Brazil between October 2016 and October 13, 2026, 63% of the seafood lines.
| FDA product description | Lines | Share of seafood |
|---|---|---|
| Snapper (red, gray, malabar, etc.) | 364 | 62.7% |
Recent snapper refusals
| Date | Firm | Product | Charges | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Maricultura Pescados Com. Imp. e Exp. Ltda.Acarau, Brazil | Snapper (red, gray, malabar, etc.) | FILTHY | Source | |
| Maricultura Pescados Com. Imp. e Exp. Ltda.Acarau, Brazil | Snapper (red, gray, malabar, etc.) | FILTHY | Source | |
| Maricultura Pescados Com. Imp. e Exp. Ltda.Acarau, Brazil | Snapper (red, gray, malabar, etc.) | FILTHY | Source | |
| Maricultura Pescados Com. Imp. e Exp. Ltda.Acarau, Brazil | Snapper (red, gray, malabar, etc.) | FILTHY | Source | |
| Belem - C. Norte Pescados LtdaBelem, Brazil | Snapper (red, gray, malabar, etc.) | FILTHY | Source |
Spiny lobster refusals from Brazil
FDA refused 181 spiny lobster lines from Brazil between October 2016 and October 13, 2026, 31% of the seafood lines.
| FDA product description | Lines | Share of seafood |
|---|---|---|
| Spiny lobster, rock lobster | 181 | 31.2% |
Recent spiny lobster refusals
| Date | Firm | Product | Charges | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Maricultura Pescados Com. Imp. e Exp. Ltda.Acarau, Brazil | Spiny lobster, rock lobster | FILTHY | Source |
Slipper lobster refusals from Brazil
FDA refused 14 slipper lobster lines from Brazil between October 2016 and October 13, 2026, 2% of the seafood lines.
| FDA product description | Lines | Share of seafood |
|---|---|---|
| Slipper lobster | 14 | 2.4% |
Other seafood products refused from Brazil
| Product group | Lines | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Croaker | 5 | 0.9% |
| Fish | 4 | 0.7% |
| Tilapia | 3 | 0.5% |
| Trout | 2 | 0.3% |
| Tuna | 2 | 0.3% |
| Corvina | 1 | 0.2% |
| Lobster | 1 | 0.2% |
Why FDA refused seafood from Brazil
FDA records a charge code on each refused line; one line can carry several.
| Charge code | Meaning | Lines | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| FILTHY | Filthy, putrid or decomposed substance | 534 | 86% |
| SALMONELLA | Salmonella | 59 | 9% |
| NUTRIT LBL | Nutrition information missing from label | 7 | 1% |
| WRONG IDEN | Appears to be misbranded as defined in section 403(b) of the FD&C Act. The article appears to be offered for… | 7 | 1% |
| FALSE | False or misleading labeling | 6 | 1% |
| LABELING | Fair Packaging and Labeling Act | 6 | 1% |
| HISTAMINE | Histamine | 3 | 0% |
| LACKS N/C | Net quantity statement missing | 2 | 0% |
Import alerts for seafood that list Brazil firms
| Alert | Covers | Red | Green |
|---|---|---|---|
| 16-81 | Seafood products: Salmonella | 21 | |
| 16-105 | Fish products: decomposition, histamine or indole | 7 | |
| 16-120 | Seafood from processors not in compliance with HACCP | 5 | |
| 16-119 | Fish products from importer and processor combinations | 1 | |
| 16-125 | Refrigerated raw fish in reduced oxygen packaging | 1 | |
| 16-127 | Seafood: chloramphenicol | 1 |
Brazil seafood firms with the most FDA records
Counts are FDA records in SupplierRadar's data, not a ranking of quality.
| Firm | City | FDA records |
|---|---|---|
| Costa Norte Comercio de Pescados Ltda | Belem | 111 |
| Monteiro Industria de Pescados Ltda | Itarema | 56 |
| Condessa Importacao Exportacao Ltda. | Camocim | 54 |
| Gilvan de P Silva Eireli | Braganca | 49 |
| Prime Seafood Ltd | Caravelas | 41 |
| Blanke Industria de Pescado Ltda. | Recife | 41 |
| Belem - C. Norte Pescados Ltda | Belem | 31 |
| Compescal - Comercio De Pescado Aracatiense Ltda | Aracati | 30 |
| Ma. de Lima Loiola | Acarau | 27 |
| C Norte Pescados Ltda | Belem | 21 |
Latest seafood refusals from Brazil
Questions about seafood refusals from Brazil
- How many seafood shipments from Brazil did FDA refuse in 2026?
- FDA refused 4 shipment lines of seafood from Brazil in 2026 through October 13, 2026, compared with 7 in 2025.
- Why does FDA refuse seafood from Brazil?
- FDA records a charge code on every refused shipment line. For seafood from Brazil the most frequent are FILTHY (filthy, putrid or decomposed substance, 534 lines), SALMONELLA (Salmonella, 59 lines) and NUTRIT LBL (nutrition information missing from label, 7 lines). A charge describes what FDA's reference table says about one shipment line, not about every firm.
- Which import alerts cover seafood from Brazil?
- As of October 25, 2026, the FDA import alerts for this category that list Brazil firms are Import Alert 16-81 (21 firms), Import Alert 16-105 (7 firms), Import Alert 16-120 (5 firms) and Import Alert 16-119 (1 firm). General food alerts numbered 99-xx can list Brazil firms too; see the country page.
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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.