FDA import refusals
FDA import refusals: seafood from Costa Rica
FDA category: Fishery/Seafood Products · October 2016 to June 5, 2024
FDA refused 116 seafood shipment lines from Costa Rica between October 2016 and June 5, 2024, 10 of them in 2024; the most refused products were tuna and tilapia, most often for MFRHACCP (seafood HACCP requirements not met).
Data from FDA public records, last checked .
- 116
- seafood lines refused since October 2016
- 10
- refused so far in 2024
- 4
- firms with the most records, listed below
Seafood 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 |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 10 | -37% |
| 2023 | 16 | |
| 2021 | 4 | -85% |
| 2020 | 27 | +800% |
| 2019 | 3 | -82% |
| 2018 | 17 | -56% |
| 2017 | 39 |
Tuna refusals from Costa Rica
FDA refused 54 tuna lines from Costa Rica between October 2016 and June 5, 2024, 47% of the seafood lines.
| FDA product description | Lines | Share of seafood |
|---|---|---|
| Tuna (albacore, yellowfin, bluefin, skipjack, etc.) | 54 | 46.6% |
Tilapia refusals from Costa Rica
FDA refused 29 tilapia lines from Costa Rica between October 2016 and June 5, 2024, 25% of the seafood lines.
| FDA product description | Lines | Share of seafood |
|---|---|---|
| Tilapia, aquaculture harvested fishery/seafood products | 29 | 25.0% |
Recent tilapia refusals
| Date | Firm | Product | Charges | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Terrapez S. A.Canas, Costa Rica | Tilapia, aquaculture harvested fishery/seafood products | SALMONELLA | Source | |
| Terrapez S. A.Canas, Costa Rica | Tilapia, aquaculture harvested fishery/seafood products | SALMONELLA | Source |
Mahi mahi refusals from Costa Rica
FDA refused 26 mahi mahi lines from Costa Rica between October 2016 and June 5, 2024, 22% of the seafood lines.
| FDA product description | Lines | Share of seafood |
|---|---|---|
| Mahi mahi | 26 | 22.4% |
Recent mahi mahi refusals
| Date | Firm | Product | Charges | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Exportadora Frumar S.A.Coyol De Alajuela, Costa Rica | Mahi mahi | FILTHY | Source | |
| Industrias Martec, S.A.Quepos, Costa Rica | Mahi mahi | FILTHY | Source | |
| Industrias Martec, S.A.Quepos, Costa Rica | Mahi mahi | FILTHY | Source | |
| Industrias Martec, S.A.Quepos, Costa Rica | Mahi mahi | FILTHY | Source | |
| Industrias Martec, S.A.Quepos, Costa Rica | Mahi mahi | FILTHY | Source |
Other seafood products refused from Costa Rica
| Product group | Lines | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Swordfish | 6 | 5.2% |
| Sturgeon | 1 | 0.9% |
Why FDA refused seafood from Costa Rica
FDA records a charge code on each refused line; one line can carry several.
| Charge code | Meaning | Lines | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| MFRHACCP | Seafood HACCP requirements not met | 52 | 43% |
| FILTHY | Filthy, putrid or decomposed substance | 35 | 29% |
| SALMONELLA | Salmonella | 29 | 24% |
| HISTAMINE | Histamine | 3 | 3% |
| POISONORD | Poisonous or deleterious substance (ordinarily injurious) | 1 | 1% |
Import alerts for seafood that list Costa Rica firms
| Alert | Covers | Red | Green |
|---|---|---|---|
| 16-125 | Refrigerated raw fish in reduced oxygen packaging | 5 | |
| 16-81 | Seafood products: Salmonella | 4 | |
| 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 |
Costa Rica seafood firms with the most FDA records
Counts are FDA records in SupplierRadar's data, not a ranking of quality.
| Firm | City | FDA records |
|---|---|---|
| Alimentos Prosalud SA | Barranca | 52 |
| Terrapez S. A. | Canas | 29 |
| Industrias Martec, S.A. | Quepos | 24 |
| Exportadora Frumar S.A. | Coyol De Alajuela | 9 |
Latest seafood refusals from Costa Rica
| Date | Firm | Product | Charges | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Terrapez S. A.Canas, Costa Rica | Tilapia, aquaculture harvested fishery/seafood products | SALMONELLA | Source | |
| Terrapez S. A.Canas, Costa Rica | Tilapia, aquaculture harvested fishery/seafood products | SALMONELLA | Source | |
| Exportadora Frumar S.A.Coyol De Alajuela, Costa Rica | Mahi mahi | FILTHY | Source | |
| Mariscos de Corazon Mc S.A.Puntarenas, Costa Rica | Sturgeon (river and sea), hot smoked, fish | FILTHY | Source | |
| Industrias Martec, S.A.Quepos, Costa Rica | Mahi mahi | FILTHY | Source | |
| Industrias Martec, S.A.Quepos, Costa Rica | Mahi mahi | FILTHY | Source | |
| Industrias Martec, S.A.Quepos, Costa Rica | Mahi mahi | FILTHY | Source | |
| Industrias Martec, S.A.Quepos, Costa Rica | Mahi mahi | FILTHY | Source | |
| Industrias Martec, S.A.Quepos, Costa Rica | Mahi mahi | FILTHY | Source | |
| Industrias Martec, S.A.Quepos, Costa Rica | Mahi mahi | FILTHY | Source | |
| Industrias Martec, S.A.Quepos, Costa Rica | Mahi mahi | HISTAMINEFILTHY | Source | |
| Industrias Martec, S.A.Quepos, Costa Rica | Mahi mahi | FILTHY | Source | |
| Industrias Martec, S.A.Quepos, Costa Rica | Mahi mahi | FILTHYPOISONORD | Source | |
| Industrias Martec, S.A.Quepos, Costa Rica | Mahi mahi | FILTHY | Source | |
| Industrias Martec, S.A.Quepos, Costa Rica | Mahi mahi | FILTHY | Source | |
| Industrias Martec, S.A.Quepos, Costa Rica | Mahi mahi | FILTHY | Source | |
| Industrias Martec, S.A.Quepos, Costa Rica | Mahi mahi | HISTAMINEFILTHY | Source | |
| Industrias Martec, S.A.Quepos, Costa Rica | Mahi mahi | FILTHY | Source | |
| Industrias Martec, S.A.Quepos, Costa Rica | Mahi mahi | HISTAMINEFILTHY | Source | |
| Industrias Martec, S.A.Quepos, Costa Rica | Mahi mahi | FILTHY | Source |
Questions about seafood refusals from Costa Rica
- How many seafood shipments from Costa Rica did FDA refuse in 2024?
- FDA refused 10 shipment lines of seafood from Costa Rica in 2024 through June 5, 2024, compared with 16 in 2023.
- Why does FDA refuse seafood from Costa Rica?
- FDA records a charge code on every refused shipment line. For seafood from Costa Rica the most frequent are MFRHACCP (seafood HACCP requirements not met, 52 lines), FILTHY (filthy, putrid or decomposed substance, 35 lines) and SALMONELLA (Salmonella, 29 lines). A charge describes what FDA's reference table says about one shipment line, not about every firm.
- Which import alerts cover seafood from Costa Rica?
- As of October 26, 2026, the FDA import alerts for this category that list Costa Rica firms are Import Alert 16-125 (5 firms), Import Alert 16-81 (4 firms), Import Alert 16-02 (1 firm) and Import Alert 16-119 (1 firm). General food alerts numbered 99-xx can list Costa Rica 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.