FDA import refusals
FDA import refusals: chocolate and cocoa from Canada
FDA category: Chocolate and Cocoa Products · October 2016 to September 28, 2026
FDA refused 72 chocolate and cocoa shipment lines from Canada between October 2016 and September 28, 2026, 14 of them in 2026; the most refused products were chocolate candy bar and chocolate candy pieces, most often for UNSAFE COL (color additive unsafe under section 721).
Data from FDA public records, last checked .
- 72
- chocolate and cocoa lines refused since October 2016
- 14
- refused so far in 2026
- 10
- firms with the most records, listed below
Chocolate and cocoa refusals from Canada 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) | 14 | |
| 2025 | 12 | -20% |
| 2024 | 15 | +88% |
| 2023 | 8 | |
| 2019 | 6 | +20% |
| 2018 | 5 | +150% |
| 2017 | 2 | |
| 2016 (from Oct) | 10 |
Chocolate candy bar refusals from Canada
FDA refused 24 chocolate candy bar lines from Canada between October 2016 and September 28, 2026, 33% of the chocolate and cocoa lines.
| FDA product description | Lines | Share of chocolate and cocoa |
|---|---|---|
| Chocolate candy bar, without nuts and fruit | 13 | 18.1% |
| Chocolate candy bar, with nuts or nut products (not coconut) | 6 | 8.3% |
| Chocolate candy bar, with nuts and fruit | 5 | 6.9% |
Recent chocolate candy bar refusals
| Date | Firm | Product | Charges | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chewters ChocolatesDelta, Canada | Chocolate candy bar, with nuts and fruit | FALSE | Source | |
| EMPWR Canada Inc.Pointe-Claire, Canada | Chocolate candy bar, with nuts or nut products (not coconut) | LABELING | Source | |
| Hershey Canada - St. HyacintheSaint-Hyacinthe, Canada | Chocolate candy bar, without nuts and fruit | LACKS N/CCOLORLABEL | Source | |
| Nestle Canada Inc. - Toronto Sterling Rd factoryToronto, Canada | Chocolate candy bar, without nuts and fruit | UNSAFE COLCOLOR LBLG | Source | |
| Nestle Canada Inc. - Toronto Sterling Rd factoryToronto, Canada | Chocolate candy bar, without nuts and fruit | UNSAFE COL | Source |
Chocolate candy pieces refusals from Canada
FDA refused 17 chocolate candy pieces lines from Canada between October 2016 and September 28, 2026, 24% of the chocolate and cocoa lines.
| FDA product description | Lines | Share of chocolate and cocoa |
|---|---|---|
| Chocolate candy pieces, without nuts and fruit | 17 | 23.6% |
Recent chocolate candy pieces refusals
| Date | Firm | Product | Charges | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nestle Canada Inc. - Toronto Sterling Rd factoryToronto, Canada | Chocolate candy pieces, without nuts and fruit | UNSAFE COL | Source | |
| Nestle Canada Inc. - Toronto Sterling Rd factoryToronto, Canada | Chocolate candy pieces, without nuts and fruit | UNSAFE COL | Source | |
| Nestle Canada Inc. - Toronto Sterling Rd factoryToronto, Canada | Chocolate candy pieces, without nuts and fruit | UNSAFE COL | Source | |
| Nestle Canada Inc. - Toronto Sterling Rd factoryToronto, Canada | Chocolate candy pieces, without nuts and fruit | NUTRIT LBL | Source | |
| Nestle Canada Inc. - Toronto Sterling Rd factoryToronto, Canada | Chocolate candy pieces, without nuts and fruit | UNSAFE COL | Source |
Chocolate bars refusals from Canada
FDA refused 12 chocolate bars lines from Canada between October 2016 and September 28, 2026, 17% of the chocolate and cocoa lines.
| FDA product description | Lines | Share of chocolate and cocoa |
|---|---|---|
| Chocolate bars | 12 | 16.7% |
Other chocolate and cocoa products refused from Canada
| Product group | Lines | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Chocolate and cocoa products | 6 | 8.3% |
| Chocolate covered candy pieces | 3 | 4.2% |
| Chocolate and chocolate covered candy | 3 | 4.2% |
| Mixed or assorted chocolate candies | 2 | 2.8% |
Why FDA refused chocolate and cocoa from Canada
FDA records a charge code on each refused line; one line can carry several.
| Charge code | Meaning | Lines | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| UNSAFE COL | Color additive unsafe under section 721 | 35 | 27% |
| NUTRIT LBL | Nutrition information missing from label | 27 | 21% |
| LACKS N/C | Net quantity statement missing | 22 | 17% |
| LABELING | Fair Packaging and Labeling Act | 14 | 11% |
| LIST INGRE | Ingredients not listed | 12 | 9% |
| LACKS FIRM | Manufacturer name and address missing | 9 | 7% |
| COLOR LBLG | Artificial coloring not declared | 3 | 2% |
| COLORLABEL | Required information not prominent | 3 | 2% |
| ALLERGEN | Major food allergen not declared | 2 | 2% |
| HEALTH C | Unauthorized nutrient content or health claim | 2 | 2% |
Import alerts for chocolate and cocoa that list Canada firms
| Alert | Covers | Red | Green |
|---|---|---|---|
| 34-02 | Confectionery with non-nutritive components | 1 |
Canada chocolate and cocoa firms with the most FDA records
Counts are FDA records in SupplierRadar's data, not a ranking of quality.
| Firm | City | FDA records |
|---|---|---|
| Nestle Canada Inc. - Toronto Sterling Rd factory | Toronto | 19 |
| Palm Bites | Mississauga | 13 |
| Vending Products of Canada | Etobicoke | 10 |
| Gmv Chocolates | Saint-Laurent | 5 |
| 1215757 Ontario Inc. | North York | 4 |
| English Bay Chocolate Factory | Delta | 3 |
| Chocostyle | Mont-Blanc | 2 |
| Mondelez Canada | Toronto | 2 |
| Tootsi Impex Inc | Saint-Laurent | 2 |
| Nestle Canada, Inc. - North York Head Office | North York | 1 |
Latest chocolate and cocoa refusals from Canada
| Date | Firm | Product | Charges | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nestle Canada Inc. - Toronto Sterling Rd factoryToronto, Canada | Chocolate candy pieces, without nuts and fruit | UNSAFE COL | Source | |
| Nestle Canada Inc. - Toronto Sterling Rd factoryToronto, Canada | Chocolate candy pieces, without nuts and fruit | UNSAFE COL | Source | |
| Chewters ChocolatesDelta, Canada | Chocolate candy bar, with nuts and fruit | FALSE | Source | |
| EMPWR Canada Inc.Pointe-Claire, Canada | Chocolate candy bar, with nuts or nut products (not coconut) | LABELING | Source | |
| Mondelez CanadaToronto, Canada | Chocolate and cocoa products, n.e.c | INCONSPICULACKS N/CNUTRIT LBL | Source | |
| Mondelez CanadaToronto, Canada | Chocolate and cocoa products, n.e.c | LIST INGREINCONSPICULACKS N/C+1 | Source | |
| Nestle Canada Inc. - Toronto Sterling Rd factoryToronto, Canada | Chocolate candy pieces, without nuts and fruit | UNSAFE COL | Source | |
| Nestle Canada Inc. - Toronto Sterling Rd factoryToronto, Canada | Chocolate candy pieces, without nuts and fruit | NUTRIT LBL | Source | |
| Nestle Enterprises LtdToronto, Canada | Chocolate and chocolate covered candy, with nuts and fruit, n.e.c | NUTRIT LBL | Source | |
| Nestle Canada Inc. - Toronto Sterling Rd factoryToronto, Canada | Chocolate candy pieces, without nuts and fruit | UNSAFE COL | Source | |
| Sns Trading & Delivery ServicesincMississauga, Canada | Chocolate and chocolate covered candy, with nuts and fruit, n.e.c | UNSAFE COLLIST INGRELACKS N/C+1 | Source | |
| Hershey Canada - St. HyacintheSaint-Hyacinthe, Canada | Chocolate candy bar, without nuts and fruit | LACKS N/CCOLORLABEL | Source | |
| Nestle Canada Inc. - Toronto Sterling Rd factoryToronto, Canada | Chocolate and cocoa products, n.e.c | UNSAFE COLLACKS N/CNUTRIT LBL | Source | |
| Nestle Canada Inc. - Toronto Sterling Rd factoryToronto, Canada | Chocolate candy bar, without nuts and fruit | UNSAFE COLCOLOR LBLG | Source | |
| Nestle Canada Inc. - Toronto Sterling Rd factoryToronto, Canada | Chocolate candy bar, without nuts and fruit | UNSAFE COL | Source | |
| Nestle Canada Inc. - Toronto Sterling Rd factoryToronto, Canada | Chocolate candy pieces, without nuts and fruit | UNSAFE COL | Source | |
| Nestle Canada Inc. - Toronto Sterling Rd factoryToronto, Canada | Chocolate candy pieces, without nuts and fruit | UNSAFE COL | Source | |
| Nestle Canada Inc. - Toronto Sterling Rd factoryToronto, Canada | Chocolate candy pieces, without nuts and fruit | UNSAFE COL | Source | |
| Nestle Canada Inc. - Toronto Sterling Rd factoryToronto, Canada | Chocolate candy bar, without nuts and fruit | UNSAFE COL | Source | |
| 1215757 Ontario Inc.North York, Canada | Chocolate covered candy pieces, without nuts and fruit | UNSAFE COL | Source |
Questions about chocolate and cocoa refusals from Canada
- How many chocolate and cocoa shipments from Canada did FDA refuse in 2026?
- FDA refused 14 shipment lines of chocolate and cocoa from Canada in 2026 through September 28, 2026, compared with 12 in 2025.
- Why does FDA refuse chocolate and cocoa from Canada?
- FDA records a charge code on every refused shipment line. For chocolate and cocoa from Canada the most frequent are UNSAFE COL (color additive unsafe under section 721, 35 lines), NUTRIT LBL (nutrition information missing from label, 27 lines) and LACKS N/C (net quantity statement missing, 22 lines). A charge describes what FDA's reference table says about one shipment line, not about every firm.
- Which import alerts cover chocolate and cocoa from Canada?
- As of October 25, 2026, the FDA import alerts for this category that list Canada firms are Import Alert 34-02 (1 firm). General food alerts numbered 99-xx can list Canada firms too; see the country page.
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