FDA import refusals
FDA import refusals: seafood from Nicaragua
FDA category: Fishery/Seafood Products · October 2016 to September 17, 2026
FDA refused 69 seafood shipment lines from Nicaragua between October 2016 and September 17, 2026, 14 of them in 2026; the most refused products were spiny lobster and groupers, most often for FILTHY (filthy, putrid or decomposed substance).
Data from FDA public records, last checked .
- 69
- seafood lines refused since October 2016
- 14
- refused so far in 2026
- 10
- firms with the most records, listed below
Seafood refusals from Nicaragua 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) | 14 | |
| 2025 | 5 | -44% |
| 2024 | 9 | +50% |
| 2023 | 6 | +20% |
| 2022 | 5 | |
| 2020 | 2 | -60% |
| 2019 | 5 | -67% |
| 2018 | 15 | +114% |
| 2017 | 7 | |
| 2016 (from Oct) | 1 |
Spiny lobster refusals from Nicaragua
FDA refused 16 spiny lobster lines from Nicaragua between October 2016 and September 17, 2026, 23% of the seafood lines.
| FDA product description | Lines | Share of seafood |
|---|---|---|
| Spiny lobster, rock lobster | 16 | 23.2% |
Groupers refusals from Nicaragua
FDA refused 13 groupers lines from Nicaragua between October 2016 and September 17, 2026, 19% of the seafood lines.
| FDA product description | Lines | Share of seafood |
|---|---|---|
| Groupers | 13 | 18.8% |
Recent groupers refusals
| Date | Firm | Product | Charges | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alimentos Industriales de Nicaragua S.A.Masaya, Nicaragua | Groupers | FILTHY | Source | |
| Alimentos Industriales de Nicaragua S.A.Masaya, Nicaragua | Groupers | FILTHY | Source | |
| Alimentos Industriales de Nicaragua S.A.Masaya, Nicaragua | Groupers | FILTHY | Source | |
| Alimentos Industriales de Nicaragua S.A.Masaya, Nicaragua | Groupers | FILTHY | Source | |
| Alimentos Industriales de Nicaragua S.A.Masaya, Nicaragua | Groupers | FILTHY | Source |
Mahi mahi refusals from Nicaragua
FDA refused 13 mahi mahi lines from Nicaragua between October 2016 and September 17, 2026, 19% of the seafood lines.
| FDA product description | Lines | Share of seafood |
|---|---|---|
| Mahi mahi | 13 | 18.8% |
Recent mahi mahi refusals
| Date | Firm | Product | Charges | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alimentos Industriales de Nicaragua S.A.Masaya, Nicaragua | Mahi mahi | FILTHY | Source | |
| Alimentos Industriales de Nicaragua S.A.Masaya, Nicaragua | Mahi mahi | FILTHY | Source | |
| Alimentos Industriales de Nicaragua S.A.Masaya, Nicaragua | Mahi mahi | FILTHY | Source | |
| Alimentos Industriales de Nicaragua S.A.Masaya, Nicaragua | Mahi mahi | FILTHY | Source |
Other seafood products refused from Nicaragua
| Product group | Lines | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Fish | 12 | 17.4% |
| Sea cucumber | 7 | 10.1% |
| Fish maw | 4 | 5.8% |
| Conch | 1 | 1.4% |
| Flounder | 1 | 1.4% |
| Sardines | 1 | 1.4% |
Why FDA refused seafood from Nicaragua
FDA records a charge code on each refused line; one line can carry several.
| Charge code | Meaning | Lines | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| FILTHY | Filthy, putrid or decomposed substance | 51 | 68% |
| MFRHACCP | Seafood HACCP requirements not met | 8 | 11% |
| SALMONELLA | Salmonella | 8 | 11% |
| NO ENGLISH | Required label information not in English | 3 | 4% |
| NUTRIT LBL | Nutrition information missing from label | 3 | 4% |
| BACTERIA | The article appears to contain a poisonous and deleterious substance which may render it injurious to… | 1 | 1% |
| USUAL NAME | Common or usual name missing | 1 | 1% |
Import alerts for seafood that list Nicaragua firms
Nicaragua seafood firms with the most FDA records
Counts are FDA records in SupplierRadar's data, not a ranking of quality.
| Firm | City | FDA records |
|---|---|---|
| Nicalapia S.A. | Leon | 14 |
| Alimentos Industriales de Nicaragua S.A. | Masaya | 13 |
| Grupo Marazul, S.A. | Puerto Cabezas | 11 |
| Mariscos Procesados (CAMPRESA) S.A. | Rivas | 4 |
| Central America Fisheries, S. A. - Bluefields | Bluefields | 4 |
| Man Kang, S. A. | Nindiri | 4 |
| Central American Fisheries, S.A | Managua | 3 |
| Baits & Sea Foods S.A. | Tipitapa | 2 |
| CR Grupo Comercial Alvacora SA | Managua | 2 |
| Productos Nica Oscar Santana | Managua | 1 |
Latest seafood refusals from Nicaragua
Questions about seafood refusals from Nicaragua
- How many seafood shipments from Nicaragua did FDA refuse in 2026?
- FDA refused 14 shipment lines of seafood from Nicaragua in 2026 through September 17, 2026, compared with 5 in 2025.
- Why does FDA refuse seafood from Nicaragua?
- FDA records a charge code on every refused shipment line. For seafood from Nicaragua the most frequent are FILTHY (filthy, putrid or decomposed substance, 51 lines), MFRHACCP (seafood HACCP requirements not met, 8 lines) and SALMONELLA (Salmonella, 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 Nicaragua?
- As of October 26, 2026, the FDA import alerts for this category that list Nicaragua firms are Import Alert 16-81 (13 firms), Import Alert 16-120 (5 firms), Import Alert 16-119 (1 firm) and Import Alert 16-125 (1 firm). General food alerts numbered 99-xx can list Nicaragua 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.