FDA import refusals
FDA import refusals: seafood from Canada
FDA category: Fishery/Seafood Products · October 2016 to September 23, 2026
FDA refused 70 seafood shipment lines from Canada between October 2016 and September 23, 2026, 6 of them in 2026; the most refused products were oysters and crab, most often for POISONOUS (poisonous or deleterious substance).
Data from FDA public records, last checked .
- 70
- seafood lines refused since October 2016
- 6
- refused so far in 2026
- 10
- firms with the most records, listed below
Seafood 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) | 6 | |
| 2025 | 17 | +750% |
| 2024 | 2 | -60% |
| 2023 | 5 | -75% |
| 2022 | 20 | +400% |
| 2021 | 4 | +100% |
| 2020 | 2 | -60% |
| 2019 | 5 | -29% |
| 2018 | 7 | +250% |
| 2017 | 2 |
Oysters refusals from Canada
FDA refused 31 oysters lines from Canada between October 2016 and September 23, 2026, 44% of the seafood lines.
| FDA product description | Lines | Share of seafood |
|---|---|---|
| Oysters | 22 | 31.4% |
| Oysters, aquaculture harvested fishery/seafood products | 9 | 12.9% |
Recent oysters refusals
| Date | Firm | Product | Charges | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mac's Oysters LtdFanny Bay, Canada | Oysters | MFR INJ | Source | |
| Mac's Oysters LtdFanny Bay, Canada | Oysters | MFR INJ | Source | |
| Mac's Oysters LtdFanny Bay, Canada | Oysters | MFR INJ | Source | |
| Mac's Oysters LtdFanny Bay, Canada | Oysters | MFR INJ | Source | |
| Mac's Oysters LtdFanny Bay, Canada | Oysters | MFR INJ | Source |
Crab refusals from Canada
FDA refused 10 crab lines from Canada between October 2016 and September 23, 2026, 14% of the seafood lines.
| FDA product description | Lines | Share of seafood |
|---|---|---|
| Crab | 10 | 14.3% |
Recent crab refusals
| Date | Firm | Product | Charges | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Les Pecheries Gaspesienne IncGaspe, Canada | Crab | LISTERIALACKS N/CNUTRIT LBL | Source | |
| Blue Atlantic Fisheries LtdO'Leary, Canada | Crab | INCONSPICUADDED BULKLACKS N/C | Source | |
| Quin-Sea Fisheries LtdOld Perlican, Canada | Crab | ADDED BULK | Source | |
| Quin-Sea Fisheries LtdOld Perlican, Canada | Crab | ADDED BULK | Source | |
| Quin-Sea Fisheries LtdOld Perlican, Canada | Crab | ADDED BULK | Source |
Herring refusals from Canada
FDA refused 7 herring lines from Canada between October 2016 and September 23, 2026, 10% of the seafood lines.
| FDA product description | Lines | Share of seafood |
|---|---|---|
| Herring, cold smoked, fish | 7 | 10.0% |
Recent herring refusals
| Date | Firm | Product | Charges | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sea Star Seafoods LimitedClarks Harbour, Canada | Herring, cold smoked, fish | MFR INSAN | Source | |
| Sea Star Seafoods LimitedClarks Harbour, Canada | Herring, cold smoked, fish | MFR INSAN | Source | |
| Sea Star Seafoods LimitedClarks Harbour, Canada | Herring, cold smoked, fish | MFR INSAN | Source | |
| Sea Star Seafoods LimitedClarks Harbour, Canada | Herring, cold smoked, fish | INSANITARY | Source |
Other seafood products refused from Canada
| Product group | Lines | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Salmon | 7 | 10.0% |
| Clams | 3 | 4.3% |
| Smelt | 2 | 2.9% |
| Fish roe | 1 | 1.4% |
Why FDA refused seafood from Canada
FDA records a charge code on each refused line; one line can carry several.
| Charge code | Meaning | Lines | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| POISONOUS | Poisonous or deleterious substance | 14 | 20% |
| SALMONELLA | Salmonella | 9 | 13% |
| MFR INJ | Insanitary conditions, may be injurious | 8 | 12% |
| ADDED BULK | The food appears to have a substance added to, mixed or packed with it so as to increase its bulk or weight,… | 7 | 10% |
| FILTHY | Filthy, putrid or decomposed substance | 7 | 10% |
| MFR INSAN | Insanitary manufacturing, processing or packing | 7 | 10% |
| INSANITARY | Prepared, packed or held under insanitary conditions | 5 | 7% |
| VETDRUGRES | Animal drug residue | 5 | 7% |
| LACKS N/C | Net quantity statement missing | 4 | 6% |
| NUTRIT LBL | Nutrition information missing from label | 3 | 4% |
Import alerts for seafood that list Canada firms
| Alert | Covers | Red | Green |
|---|---|---|---|
| 16-39 | Ready-to-eat seafood: Listeria monocytogenes | 25 | |
| 16-74 | Uneviscerated salt-cured, dried, smoked or fermented fish | 7 | |
| 16-81 | Seafood products: Salmonella | 5 | |
| 16-125 | Refrigerated raw fish in reduced oxygen packaging | 4 | |
| 16-02 | Dried shark fins, fish maws and shark cartilage: filth | 2 | |
| 16-50 | Molluscan bivalve shellfish | 2 | |
| 16-120 | Seafood from processors not in compliance with HACCP | 2 | |
| 16-124 | Aquaculture seafood: unapproved drugs | 2 | |
| 16-04 | Seafood products that appear to be misbranded | 1 |
Canada seafood firms with the most FDA records
Counts are FDA records in SupplierRadar's data, not a ranking of quality.
| Firm | City | FDA records |
|---|---|---|
| 671743 Nb | Richibouctou-Village | 14 |
| Quin-Sea Fisheries Ltd | Old Perlican | 7 |
| Mac's Oysters Ltd | Fanny Bay | 7 |
| Pacific Northwest Shellfish Co Ltd. | Richmond | 6 |
| Seven Seas Seafood Fish Co., Ltd. | Richmond | 5 |
| Sea Star Seafoods Limited | Clarks Harbour | 4 |
| Great Lakes Food Company Ltd | Chatham | 2 |
| Union Bay Seafood | Richmond | 2 |
| Blue Atlantic Fisheries Ltd | O'Leary | 2 |
| Shediac Lobster Shop Ltd. | Shediac | 1 |
Latest seafood refusals from Canada
Questions about seafood refusals from Canada
- How many seafood shipments from Canada did FDA refuse in 2026?
- FDA refused 6 shipment lines of seafood from Canada in 2026 through September 23, 2026, compared with 17 in 2025.
- Why does FDA refuse seafood from Canada?
- FDA records a charge code on every refused shipment line. For seafood from Canada the most frequent are POISONOUS (poisonous or deleterious substance, 14 lines), SALMONELLA (Salmonella, 9 lines) and MFR INJ (insanitary conditions, may be injurious, 8 lines). A charge describes what FDA's reference table says about one shipment line, not about every firm.
- Which import alerts cover seafood from Canada?
- As of October 25, 2026, the FDA import alerts for this category that list Canada firms are Import Alert 16-39 (25 firms), Import Alert 16-74 (7 firms), Import Alert 16-81 (5 firms) and Import Alert 16-125 (4 firms). General food alerts numbered 99-xx can list Canada 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.