FDA import refusals
FDA import refusals from Costa Rica
Food, dietary supplements and animal food · October 2016 to October 7, 2026 · how the data is collected
FDA refused 347 shipment lines from Costa Rica between October 2016 and October 2026, including 77 in 2026 through October 7, 2026; the most common charges were UNFIT4FOOD, PESTICIDE and NUTRIT LBL, and the most refused category was seafood.
Data from FDA public records, last checked .
- 347
- refused shipment lines since October 2016
- 77
- refused so far in 2026
- 250
- Costa Rica firms with an FDA record
- 66
- firms on an active import alert
Refusals from Costa Rica 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) | 77 | |
| 2025 | 24 | +33% |
| 2024 | 18 | -58% |
| 2023 | 43 | +39% |
| 2022 | 31 | +244% |
| 2021 | 9 | -75% |
| 2020 | 36 | +89% |
| 2019 | 19 | -58% |
| 2018 | 45 | +2% |
| 2017 | 44 | |
| 2016 (from Oct) | 1 |
Why FDA refused Costa Rica shipment lines
FDA records a charge code on each refused line; one line can carry several. Each code opens FDA's official statement and the countries and products behind it.
| Charge code | Meaning | Lines | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| UNFIT4FOOD | Unfit for food | 71 | 19% |
| PESTICIDE | Pesticide chemical residue | 64 | 17% |
| NUTRIT LBL | Nutrition information missing from label | 57 | 15% |
| MFRHACCP | Seafood HACCP requirements not met | 52 | 14% |
| FILTHY | Filthy, putrid or decomposed substance | 48 | 13% |
| SALMONELLA | Salmonella | 30 | 8% |
| NO PROCESS | No scheduled process filed | 27 | 7% |
| NO ENGLISH | Required label information not in English | 13 | 3% |
| UNSAFE COL | Color additive unsafe under section 721 | 11 | 3% |
| LABELING | Fair Packaging and Labeling Act | 8 | 2% |
What FDA refused from Costa Rica, by product category
FDA product categories, most refused first. Open a category for its product, charge and firm tables.
| Category | Most refused products | Lines |
|---|---|---|
| SeafoodFishery/Seafood Products | Tuna (albacore, yellowfin, bluefin, skipjack, etc.); Tilapia, aquaculture harvested fishery/seafood products; Mahi mahi | 116 |
| Tropical and pit fruitFruit and Fruit Products (pit, subtropical and tropical fruits) | Mixed fruit flavored imitation fruit, jam, jelly, preserves, marmalade, butter or candied; Tamarind, topping or syrup; Pineapple (subtropical and tropical fruit) | 61 |
| Root vegetables and mushroomsVegetables and Vegetable Products (root and tuber vegetables, fungi) | Taro, dasheen (root & tuber vegetable); Carrot (root & tuber vegetable); Ginger root (root & tuber vegetable) | 39 |
| Candy and chewing gumCandy without Chocolate, Candy Specialties, and Chewing Gum | Jelly fruit poppers candy; Gel cups candy; Gel cups, fruit flavored w/fruit candy | 34 |
| Vegetables (legumes and leafy)Vegetables and Vegetable Products (legumes, leaf and stem, fruit vegetables) | Cilantro (leaf & stem vegetable); Culantro (leaf & stem vegetable); Squash, summer (fruit used as vegetable) | 31 |
| Sauces and prepared mealsMultiple Food Dinners, Gravies, Sauces, and Specialties | Tomato sauce (with other ingredients); Bean, ground sauce; Sauces, n.e.c. | 17 |
| Gelatin and puddingsGelatin, Rennet, Pudding Mixes, and Pie Fillings | Gelatin, flavored | 15 |
| Berries and citrusFruit and Fruit Products (berries, citrus and core fruits) | Apple (core fruit purees); Pear (core fruit purees) | 10 |
| Snack foodsSnack Food Items | Fried snack foods, n.e.c.; Plantain snacks, fruit snack foods, fried/oil cooked | 6 |
| Dressings and condimentsDressings and Condiments | Catsup; Mayonnaise; Mustard, prepared | 4 |
| Bakery productsBakery Products, Doughs, Bakery Mixes, and Icings | Creme filled/iced cookie,biscuit,wafer | 3 |
| Cereals and breakfast foodsCereal Preparations, Breakfast Foods | Corn flakes,puffs,krispies,loops ready to eat | 3 |
| SoupsSoups | Chicken consomme and bouillion, plain, dried | 3 |
| Coffee and teaCoffee and Tea | Coffee, beans | 2 |
| Dietary supplementsVitamins, Minerals, Proteins, and Unconventional Dietary Specialties | Nicotinamide (niacinamide) (vitamin); Vitamin, mineral, proteins and unconventional dietary specialities for humans and animals, n.e.c. | 2 |
| Milk and butterMilk, Butter, and Dried Milk Products | Fluid/dry milk products not elsewhere mentioned, n.e.c. | 1 |
Most refused products from Costa Rica
FDA's product descriptions on the refused lines, grouped case-insensitively.
| Product | Lines | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Tuna (albacore, yellowfin, bluefin, skipjack, etc.) | 54 | 15.6% |
| Tilapia, aquaculture harvested fishery/seafood products | 29 | 8.4% |
| Mixed fruit flavored imitation fruit, jam, jelly, preserves, marmalade, butter or candied | 28 | 8.1% |
| Mahi mahi | 26 | 7.5% |
| Taro, dasheen (root & tuber vegetable) | 23 | 6.6% |
| Jelly fruit poppers candy | 18 | 5.2% |
| Gelatin, flavored | 15 | 4.3% |
| Tomato sauce (with other ingredients) | 12 | 3.5% |
| Cilantro (leaf & stem vegetable) | 11 | 3.2% |
| Carrot (root & tuber vegetable) | 8 | 2.3% |
FDA import alerts that list Costa Rica firms
16 alerts list at least one firm in Costa Rica: 61 firms on a red list, 66 firms on any list.
| Alert | Covers | Red | Green |
|---|---|---|---|
| 99-05 | Raw agricultural products: pesticides | 36 | |
| 99-23 | Produce: contamination with human pathogens | 8 | |
| 16-125 | Refrigerated raw fish in reduced oxygen packaging | 5 | |
| 16-81 | Seafood products: Salmonella | 4 | |
| 33-15 | Mini-cup gel and jelly candies of firm consistency | 2 | |
| 99-19 | Food products: Salmonella | 2 | |
| 99-38 | Low-acid canned/acidified foods: inadequate process control | 2 | |
| 16-02 | Dried shark fins, fish maws and shark cartilage: filth | 1 | |
| 16-119 | Fish products from importer and processor combinations | 1 | |
| 16-120 | Seafood from processors not in compliance with HACCP | 1 | |
| 20-07 | Juice from processors not in compliance with juice HACCP | 1 | |
| 45-02 | Foods with illegal or undeclared colors | 1 |
The 12 alerts with the most listings. All alerts are on the import alerts page.
Costa Rica firms with the most FDA records
Counts are FDA records in SupplierRadar's data (refusals, import alert listings and other events), not a ranking of quality.
| Firm | City | FDA records |
|---|---|---|
| Corporacion del Valle Metropolitano S.A. | Moravia | 69 |
| Alimentos Prosalud SA | Barranca | 52 |
| Terrapez S. A. | Canas | 29 |
| UL Costa Rica SCC, S.A. | Heredia | 26 |
| Industrias Martec, S.A. | Quepos | 24 |
| Irex de Costa Rica S.A | Belen | 19 |
| Exportadora Frumar S.A. | Coyol De Alajuela | 9 |
| Alimentos Conica S.A. | Paraiso | 8 |
| Semafoods S.R.L. | Zarcero | 8 |
| Layn Fresh Paradise, S.A. | San Carlos | 8 |
Latest refusals from Costa Rica
The 20 most recent refused lines, each with its FDA source.
Questions about FDA refusals from Costa Rica
- How many Costa Rica shipments did FDA refuse in 2026?
- FDA refused 77 shipment lines from Costa Rica in 2026 through October 7, 2026, compared with 24 in 2025 (a full year).
- Why does FDA refuse food from Costa Rica?
- FDA records a charge code on every refused shipment line. For Costa Rica the most frequent are UNFIT4FOOD (unfit for food, 71 lines), PESTICIDE (pesticide chemical residue, 64 lines) and NUTRIT LBL (nutrition information missing from label, 57 lines). A charge describes what FDA's reference table says about one shipment line; it is not a finding about every firm in the country.
- Which Costa Rica firms have the most FDA refusals?
- In SupplierRadar's records the Costa Rica firms with the most FDA records (refusals, import alert listings and other events) are CORPORACION DEL VALLE METROPOLITANO S.A. (Moravia) with 69 records, Alimentos Prosalud SA (Barranca) with 52 records and Terrapez S. A. (Canas) with 29 records. Each firm's page lists every record with its FDA source.
- Which FDA import alerts list Costa Rica firms?
- As of October 26, 2026, 16 FDA import alerts list at least one firm in Costa Rica. The alerts with the most Costa Rica listings are Import Alert 99-05 (36 firms), Import Alert 99-23 (8 firms) and Import Alert 16-125 (5 firms).
- How many Costa Rica firms are on an FDA import alert red list?
- As of October 26, 2026, 61 Costa Rica firms are on the red list of at least one FDA import alert in SupplierRadar's records, and 66 firms are on any list.
All Costa Rica suppliers with FDA records (70)
Every Costa Rica firm in SupplierRadar's data with an active import alert, a warning letter or at least five FDA records, most recently active first. Each name opens the firm's FDA record history.
- Corporacion del Valle Metropolitano S.A.Moravia
- Products Varjim Golden of Costa Rica LimitadaGoicoechea - Guadalupe
- Semafoods S.R.L.Zarcero
- Tuberculos Ticos SRLPococi
- Coprimex S.A.Cartago
- Vanessa De Los Angeles Laynes CorellaAlajuela
- Alimentos Conica S.A.Paraiso
- Producciones Agricolas Keka SaLimon
- Layn Fresh Paradise, S.A.San Carlos
- Comercializadora de Productos Tierra Verde R&T CompanyPococi
- UL Costa Rica SCC, S.A.Heredia
- Industrias Sanso, S.A.Heredia
- Terrapez S. A.Canas
- Alimentos Prosalud SABarranca
- Truchas Reales de Costa RicaCopey, Dota
- Exportadora Frumar S.A.Coyol De Alajuela
- Productora Hermanos Rios S.A.Cartago
- Industrias Martec, S.A.Quepos
- Alimentos Kamuk Internacional (C.R.) S.A.Paraiso
- Bareta Sm SRLZarcero
- Grupo Pozuelo & PRO GPP, S.A.Ciudad Colon
- Nicole Nunez QuirosTurrialba
- Agro Jomisar Sociedad AnonimaSan Carlos
- Juan Nunez AbarcaLimon
- Agroverde Wj De Linda Vista SASiquirres
- Culantro Fresco de Costa Rica Cfc S.A.Siquirres
- Culantreros S.A.Limon
- Fideos Precocidos de Costa Rica S.A.Santo Domingo
- 3-102-685515 S.A.Chitaria, Turrialba
- Irex de Costa Rica S.ABelen
- Pinera Sucato S.APococi
- Caribu Importadores Y Exportadora SACartago
- Industrias El Caraito, S.A.San Ramon
- Exportadora Moval De Santa RosaSan Jose
- Corporacion Productora de Chayotes Brenes & QuirosParaiso
- Exportadores de Mi Tierra S.A.San Ramon
- Corporacion Agroindustrial Borinquen SAPococi
- Tuberculos de Costa Rica, S.APococi
- Caribe Verde Follajes S.A.Siquirres
- Faustica SARio Cuarto
- Pejivallera Tucurrique F&B S.A.Paraiso
- William Morales NajeraLimon
- Exportadora PMT S.A.Ciudad Colon
- Gustavo Arguedas MoraLimon
- Comerrico SABarreal
- Transcafe InternationalSan Mateo
- Meca, S.A.Orotina
- North Fruits Campany S.A.Guatuso
- Tony Vega MataSan Jose
- Hazel Adita Rojas LeonGrecia
- Inversones Nayudal S.A.San Carlos
- Agro Organica Verde de Costa Rica S.A.SANTA ROSA DE POCOSOL
- Jorge Camacho ValverdeSiquirres
- Hoja Buena EloinTurrialba
- Exportaciones J.C. Calvo S.A.San Ramon
- Corporacion Araya Y Zuniga, S.A.Chachagula
- Del Huerto S.A.Alajuela
- Centro Internacional de Inversiones, CIISALa Ribera De Belen
- Cosechas Marinas S.A.La Rivera De Belen
- Expun S.A.San Jose
- Tico Fish S.A.San Jose
- AdapexOreamuno
- CR Campesinos S.A.San Carlos
- Finca TorresLimon
- Forbes Superior Quality Brand Inc.Limon
- Melones De Costa Rica,S.A.Limon
- Roberto Rodriguez JimenezSan Carlos
- Roger Oswalt Produce S.A.Puntarenas
- Tropifresh De Costa Rica S.A.Guanacaste
- Corporacion Procesdora de Cartilago S.A.Puntarenas
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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.