FDA import refusals
FDA import refusals: seafood from Malaysia
FDA category: Fishery/Seafood Products · October 2016 to September 9, 2026
FDA refused 162 seafood shipment lines from Malaysia between October 2016 and September 9, 2026, 10 of them in 2026; the most refused products were fish cakes and shrimp & prawns, most often for LISTERIA (Listeria monocytogenes).
Data from FDA public records, last checked .
- 162
- seafood lines refused since October 2016
- 10
- refused so far in 2026
- 10
- firms with the most records, listed below
Seafood refusals from Malaysia 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) | 10 | |
| 2025 | 38 | -22% |
| 2024 | 49 | +188% |
| 2023 | 17 | -56% |
| 2022 | 39 | +875% |
| 2021 | 4 | |
| 2018 | 4 | +300% |
| 2017 | 1 |
Fish cakes refusals from Malaysia
FDA refused 105 fish cakes lines from Malaysia between October 2016 and September 9, 2026, 65% of the seafood lines.
| FDA product description | Lines | Share of seafood |
|---|---|---|
| Fish cakes, balls, etc., n.e.c. | 105 | 64.8% |
Recent fish cakes refusals
| Date | Firm | Product | Charges | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ql Foods Sdn. Bhd.Hutan Melintang, Malaysia | Fish cakes, balls, etc., n.e.c | LISTERIA | Source | |
| Ql Foods Sdn. Bhd.Hutan Melintang, Malaysia | Fish cakes, balls, etc., n.e.c | LISTERIA | Source | |
| Ql Foods Sdn. Bhd.Hutan Melintang, Malaysia | Fish cakes, balls, etc., n.e.c | LISTERIA | Source | |
| Ql Foods Sdn. Bhd.Hutan Melintang, Malaysia | Fish cakes, balls, etc., n.e.c | LISTERIA | Source |
Shrimp & prawns refusals from Malaysia
FDA refused 18 shrimp & prawns lines from Malaysia between October 2016 and September 9, 2026, 11% of the seafood lines.
| FDA product description | Lines | Share of seafood |
|---|---|---|
| Shrimp & prawns | 7 | 4.3% |
| Shrimp & prawns, cakes, balls, etc. | 7 | 4.3% |
| Shrimp & prawns, breaded | 4 | 2.5% |
Recent shrimp & prawns refusals
| Date | Firm | Product | Charges | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Golden Fresh Sdn BhdButterworth, Malaysia | Shrimp & prawns, breaded | UNSAFE ADD | Source | |
| Golden Fresh Sdn BhdButterworth, Malaysia | Shrimp & prawns, breaded | UNSAFE ADD | Source | |
| Golden Fresh Sdn BhdButterworth, Malaysia | Shrimp & prawns, breaded | UNSAFE ADD | Source | |
| Golden Fresh Sdn BhdButterworth, Malaysia | Shrimp & prawns, breaded | UNSAFE ADD | Source | |
| Classic Mode Sdn BhdKawasan Perindustrian Cheras Jay, Malaysia | Shrimp & prawns | VETDRUGRES | Source |
Mahi mahi refusals from Malaysia
FDA refused 10 mahi mahi lines from Malaysia between October 2016 and September 9, 2026, 6% of the seafood lines.
| FDA product description | Lines | Share of seafood |
|---|---|---|
| Mahi mahi | 10 | 6.2% |
Other seafood products refused from Malaysia
| Product group | Lines | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Fish | 9 | 5.6% |
| Barramundi | 5 | 3.1% |
| Shrimp paste | 5 | 3.1% |
| Tuna | 4 | 2.5% |
| Sardines | 3 | 1.9% |
Why FDA refused seafood from Malaysia
FDA records a charge code on each refused line; one line can carry several.
| Charge code | Meaning | Lines | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| LISTERIA | Listeria monocytogenes | 108 | 62% |
| FILTHY | Filthy, putrid or decomposed substance | 18 | 10% |
| VETDRUGRES | Animal drug residue | 16 | 9% |
| UNSAFE ADD | Food additive unsafe under section 409 | 15 | 9% |
| MFRHACCP | Seafood HACCP requirements not met | 8 | 5% |
| SALMONELLA | Salmonella | 5 | 3% |
| HISTAMINE | Histamine | 2 | 1% |
| NITROFURAN | Nitrofurans | 1 | 1% |
Import alerts for seafood that list Malaysia firms
| Alert | Covers | Red | Green |
|---|---|---|---|
| 16-129 | Seafood products: nitrofurans | 27 | |
| 16-81 | Seafood products: Salmonella | 13 | |
| 16-127 | Seafood: chloramphenicol | 11 | |
| 16-120 | Seafood from processors not in compliance with HACCP | 4 | |
| 16-119 | Fish products from importer and processor combinations | 3 | |
| 16-124 | Aquaculture seafood: unapproved drugs | 3 | |
| 16-04 | Seafood products that appear to be misbranded | 2 | |
| 16-74 | Uneviscerated salt-cured, dried, smoked or fermented fish | 2 | |
| 16-39 | Ready-to-eat seafood: Listeria monocytogenes | 1 | |
| 16-105 | Fish products: decomposition, histamine or indole | 1 |
Malaysia seafood firms with the most FDA records
Counts are FDA records in SupplierRadar's data, not a ranking of quality.
| Firm | City | FDA records |
|---|---|---|
| Ql Foods Sdn. Bhd. | Hutan Melintang | 108 |
| Labuan Food Industries Sdn Bhd | Labuan | 14 |
| Sen Up Huat Seafood Trading Sdn Bhd | Hutan Melintang | 6 |
| Goh Siong Tee Marine Product | Simpang Ampat | 5 |
| OceanBest (M) SDN. BHD. | Cheras | 5 |
| Ket Hoe Trading Sdn Bhd | Pulau Pinang | 5 |
| Golden Fresh Sdn Bhd | Butterworth | 4 |
| Mafipro SDN BHD | Taiping | 3 |
| EB Frozen Food Sdn Bhd | Kulim | 2 |
| Fishergold Cold Storage Sdn Bhd | Bukit Mertajam | 1 |
Latest seafood refusals from Malaysia
| Date | Firm | Product | Charges | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Golden Fresh Sdn BhdButterworth, Malaysia | Shrimp & prawns, breaded | UNSAFE ADD | Source | |
| Golden Fresh Sdn BhdButterworth, Malaysia | Shrimp & prawns, breaded | UNSAFE ADD | Source | |
| Golden Fresh Sdn BhdButterworth, Malaysia | Shrimp & prawns, breaded | UNSAFE ADD | Source | |
| Golden Fresh Sdn BhdButterworth, Malaysia | Shrimp & prawns, breaded | UNSAFE ADD | Source | |
| Fishergold Cold Storage Sdn BhdBukit Mertajam, Malaysia | Pompano (permit, pompanito) | VETDRUGRES | Source | |
| Sen Up Huat Seafood Trading Sdn BhdHutan Melintang, Malaysia | Fish, n.e.c | FILTHY | Source | |
| Sen Up Huat Seafood Trading Sdn BhdHutan Melintang, Malaysia | Fish, n.e.c | FILTHY | Source | |
| Sen Up Huat Seafood Trading Sdn BhdHutan Melintang, Malaysia | Fish, n.e.c | FILTHY | Source | |
| Ket Hoe Trading Sdn BhdPulau Pinang, Malaysia | Shrimp paste, fishery products, n.e.c | MFRHACCP | Source | |
| Classic Mode Sdn BhdKawasan Perindustrian Cheras Jay, Malaysia | Shrimp & prawns | VETDRUGRES | Source | |
| Beh Chin Kok TradingIpoh Peak, Malaysia | Shrimp & prawns | UNSAFE ADDVETDRUGRES | Source | |
| Tee Ching KiatKulai, Malaysia | Shrimp & prawns | UNSAFE ADDVETDRUGRES | Source | |
| Fishergold Food Industries Sdn BhdBukit Mertajam, Malaysia | Shrimp & prawns, cakes, balls, etc | VETDRUGRES | Source | |
| Ql Foods Sdn. Bhd.Hutan Melintang, Malaysia | Fish cakes, balls, etc., n.e.c | LISTERIA | Source | |
| EB Frozen Food Sdn BhdKulim, Malaysia | Shrimp & prawns, cakes, balls, etc | VETDRUGRESNITROFURAN | Source | |
| EB Frozen Food Sdn BhdKulim, Malaysia | Shrimp & prawns, cakes, balls, etc | UNSAFE ADDVETDRUGRES | Source | |
| Ql Foods Sdn. Bhd.Hutan Melintang, Malaysia | Fish cakes, balls, etc., n.e.c | LISTERIA | Source | |
| EB Frozen Food Sdn. Bhd.Seberang Perai Tengah, Malaysia | Shrimp & prawns, cakes, balls, etc | UNSAFE ADDVETDRUGRES | Source | |
| Ql Foods Sdn. Bhd.Hutan Melintang, Malaysia | Fish cakes, balls, etc., n.e.c | LISTERIA | Source | |
| Ql Foods Sdn. Bhd.Hutan Melintang, Malaysia | Fish cakes, balls, etc., n.e.c | LISTERIA | Source |
Questions about seafood refusals from Malaysia
- How many seafood shipments from Malaysia did FDA refuse in 2026?
- FDA refused 10 shipment lines of seafood from Malaysia in 2026 through September 9, 2026, compared with 38 in 2025.
- Why does FDA refuse seafood from Malaysia?
- FDA records a charge code on every refused shipment line. For seafood from Malaysia the most frequent are LISTERIA (Listeria monocytogenes, 108 lines), FILTHY (filthy, putrid or decomposed substance, 18 lines) and VETDRUGRES (animal drug residue, 16 lines). A charge describes what FDA's reference table says about one shipment line, not about every firm.
- Which import alerts cover seafood from Malaysia?
- As of October 26, 2026, the FDA import alerts for this category that list Malaysia firms are Import Alert 16-129 (27 firms), Import Alert 16-81 (13 firms), Import Alert 16-127 (11 firms) and Import Alert 16-120 (4 firms). General food alerts numbered 99-xx can list Malaysia 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.