FDA import refusals
FDA import refusals: coffee and tea from Japan
FDA category: Coffee and Tea · October 2016 to June 10, 2025
FDA refused 65 coffee and tea shipment lines from Japan between October 2016 and June 10, 2025, 4 of them in 2025; the most refused products were tea and coffee, most often for NO ENGLISH (required label information not in English).
Data from FDA public records, last checked .
- 65
- coffee and tea lines refused since October 2016
- 4
- refused so far in 2025
- 8
- firms with the most records, listed below
Coffee and tea refusals from Japan by year
Shipment lines FDA refused each year. The table has the same numbers as the chart.
| Year | Refusal lines | vs prior year |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 4 | -80% |
| 2024 | 20 | +900% |
| 2023 | 2 | 0% |
| 2022 | 2 | -33% |
| 2021 | 3 | |
| 2019 | 1 | -94% |
| 2018 | 17 | +6% |
| 2017 | 16 |
Tea refusals from Japan
FDA refused 47 tea lines from Japan between October 2016 and June 10, 2025, 72% of the coffee and tea lines.
| FDA product description | Lines | Share of coffee and tea |
|---|---|---|
| Tea, n.e.c. | 29 | 44.6% |
| Tea, green | 12 | 18.5% |
| Tea, black | 4 | 6.2% |
| Tea, liquid | 2 | 3.1% |
Recent tea refusals
| Date | Firm | Product | Charges | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yamamasa Co., Ltd.UJI, Japan | Tea, n.e.c | LACKS N/CNO ENGLISH | Source | |
| Life Drink Co.,LtdNantan, Japan | Tea, liquid | NEEDS FCENO PROCESS | Source | |
| Life Drink Co.,LtdNantan, Japan | Tea, liquid | NEEDS FCENO PROCESS | Source | |
| Ito En LtdTokyo, Japan | Tea, green | NUTRIT LBL | Source | |
| Mitsui Norin Co.,Ltd.Minato, Japan | Tea, black | NO ENGLISHLABELING | Source |
Coffee refusals from Japan
FDA refused 16 coffee lines from Japan between October 2016 and June 10, 2025, 25% of the coffee and tea lines.
| FDA product description | Lines | Share of coffee and tea |
|---|---|---|
| Coffee, n.e.c. | 10 | 15.4% |
| Coffee, instant | 5 | 7.7% |
| Coffee, beans | 1 | 1.5% |
Recent coffee refusals
| Date | Firm | Product | Charges | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yamanaka Kanzume Co., Ltd.Yaizu, Japan | Coffee, n.e.c | NEEDS FCENO PROCESS | Source | |
| Ajinomoto Agf, Inc.Shibuya, Japan | Coffee, instant | NUTRIT LBL | Source | |
| Ajinomoto Agf, Inc.Shibuya, Japan | Coffee, instant | NO ENGLISH | Source | |
| Ajinomoto Agf, Inc.Shibuya, Japan | Coffee, n.e.c | NO ENGLISHLABELING | Source |
Seaweed refusals from Japan
FDA refused 1 seaweed line from Japan between October 2016 and June 10, 2025, 2% of the coffee and tea lines.
| FDA product description | Lines | Share of coffee and tea |
|---|---|---|
| Seaweed | 1 | 1.5% |
Other coffee and tea products refused from Japan
| Product group | Lines | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Tea with whole grains or starch | 1 | 1.5% |
Why FDA refused coffee and tea from Japan
FDA records a charge code on each refused line; one line can carry several.
| Charge code | Meaning | Lines | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| NO ENGLISH | Required label information not in English | 50 | 46% |
| INCONSPICU | Required information not conspicuous | 12 | 11% |
| LABELING | Fair Packaging and Labeling Act | 9 | 8% |
| LACKS N/C | Net quantity statement missing | 9 | 8% |
| LACKS FIRM | Manufacturer name and address missing | 8 | 7% |
| NUTRIT LBL | Nutrition information missing from label | 7 | 6% |
| NEEDS FCE | Processor not registered for canned or acidified foods | 4 | 4% |
| NO PROCESS | No scheduled process filed | 4 | 4% |
| USUAL NAME | Common or usual name missing | 3 | 3% |
| LIST INGRE | Ingredients not listed | 2 | 2% |
Japan coffee and tea firms with the most FDA records
Counts are FDA records in SupplierRadar's data, not a ranking of quality.
| Firm | City | FDA records |
|---|---|---|
| Hoshino Seichaen | Yame | 11 |
| Ucc | Kobe | 4 |
| Mitsui Norin Co.,Ltd. | Minato | 4 |
| Ito En, Ltd. | Shibuya | 3 |
| Yamamoto Kanpoh Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. | Komaki | 2 |
| Wood Trading ,Co,Ltd | Inzai | 2 |
| Vinson Japan K K | Shibuya | 2 |
| Sato Foods Co.,Ltd. | Niigata | 1 |
Latest coffee and tea refusals from Japan
Questions about coffee and tea refusals from Japan
- How many coffee and tea shipments from Japan did FDA refuse in 2025?
- FDA refused 4 shipment lines of coffee and tea from Japan in 2025 through June 10, 2025, compared with 20 in 2024.
- Why does FDA refuse coffee and tea from Japan?
- FDA records a charge code on every refused shipment line. For coffee and tea from Japan the most frequent are NO ENGLISH (required label information not in English, 50 lines), INCONSPICU (required information not conspicuous, 12 lines) and LABELING (Fair Packaging and Labeling Act, 9 lines). A charge describes what FDA's reference table says about one shipment line, not about every firm.
- Which import alerts cover coffee and tea from Japan?
- As of October 26, 2026, no import alert numbered under this category lists a firm in Japan in SupplierRadar's records. General food alerts numbered 99-xx can still list Japan firms; 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.