FDA import refusals
FDA import refusals: chocolate and cocoa from South Africa
FDA category: Chocolate and Cocoa Products · October 2016 to October 31, 2019
FDA refused 6 chocolate and cocoa shipment lines from South Africa between October 2016 and October 31, 2019, 4 of them in 2019; the most refused product was chocolate candy bar, most often for LACKS N/C (net quantity statement missing).
Data from FDA public records, last checked .
- 6
- chocolate and cocoa lines refused since October 2016
- 4
- refused so far in 2019
- 1
- firms with the most records, listed below
Chocolate and cocoa refusals from South Africa by year
Shipment lines FDA refused each year. The table has the same numbers as the chart.
| Year | Refusal lines | vs prior year |
|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 4 | |
| 2017 | 2 |
Chocolate candy bar refusals from South Africa
FDA refused 6 chocolate candy bar lines from South Africa between October 2016 and October 31, 2019, 100% of the chocolate and cocoa lines.
| FDA product description | Lines | Share of chocolate and cocoa |
|---|---|---|
| Chocolate candy bar, with nuts and fruit | 3 | 50.0% |
| Chocolate candy bar, without nuts and fruit | 3 | 50.0% |
Recent chocolate candy bar refusals
| Date | Firm | Product | Charges | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Massam's ConfectionerySezela, South Africa | Chocolate candy bar, with nuts and fruit | LACKS FIRMLACKS N/CNO ENGLISH+2 | Source | |
| Massam's ConfectionerySezela, South Africa | Chocolate candy bar, with nuts and fruit | LACKS FIRMLACKS N/CNO ENGLISH+2 | Source | |
| Massam's ConfectionerySezela, South Africa | Chocolate candy bar, with nuts and fruit | LACKS FIRMLACKS N/CNO ENGLISH+2 | Source | |
| Indian Ocean Export CompanyDurban, South Africa | Chocolate candy bar, without nuts and fruit | UNSAFE COL | Source | |
| Indian Ocean Export CompanyDurban, South Africa | Chocolate candy bar, without nuts and fruit | LIST INGRELACKS N/CNUTRIT LBL | Source |
Why FDA refused chocolate and cocoa from South Africa
FDA records a charge code on each refused line; one line can carry several.
| Charge code | Meaning | Lines | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| LACKS N/C | Net quantity statement missing | 5 | 21% |
| NUTRIT LBL | Nutrition information missing from label | 5 | 21% |
| ALLERGEN | Major food allergen not declared | 3 | 13% |
| LACKS FIRM | Manufacturer name and address missing | 3 | 13% |
| NO ENGLISH | Required label information not in English | 3 | 13% |
| LIST INGRE | Ingredients not listed | 2 | 8% |
| UNSAFE COL | Color additive unsafe under section 721 | 2 | 8% |
| COLOR LBLG | Artificial coloring not declared | 1 | 4% |
South Africa chocolate and cocoa firms with the most FDA records
Counts are FDA records in SupplierRadar's data, not a ranking of quality.
| Firm | City | FDA records |
|---|---|---|
| Indian Ocean Export Company | Durban | 2 |
Latest chocolate and cocoa refusals from South Africa
| Date | Firm | Product | Charges | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Massam's ConfectionerySezela, South Africa | Chocolate candy bar, with nuts and fruit | LACKS FIRMLACKS N/CNO ENGLISH+2 | Source | |
| Massam's ConfectionerySezela, South Africa | Chocolate candy bar, with nuts and fruit | LACKS FIRMLACKS N/CNO ENGLISH+2 | Source | |
| Massam's ConfectionerySezela, South Africa | Chocolate candy bar, with nuts and fruit | LACKS FIRMLACKS N/CNO ENGLISH+2 | Source | |
| Indian Ocean Export CompanyDurban, South Africa | Chocolate candy bar, without nuts and fruit | UNSAFE COL | Source | |
| Indian Ocean Export CompanyDurban, South Africa | Chocolate candy bar, without nuts and fruit | LIST INGRELACKS N/CNUTRIT LBL | Source | |
| Nestle South AfricaJohannesburg, South Africa | Chocolate candy bar, without nuts and fruit | UNSAFE COLLIST INGRECOLOR LBLG+2 | Source |
Questions about chocolate and cocoa refusals from South Africa
- How many chocolate and cocoa shipments from South Africa did FDA refuse in 2019?
- FDA refused 4 shipment lines of chocolate and cocoa from South Africa in 2019 through October 31, 2019.
- Why does FDA refuse chocolate and cocoa from South Africa?
- FDA records a charge code on every refused shipment line. For chocolate and cocoa from South Africa the most frequent are LACKS N/C (net quantity statement missing, 5 lines), NUTRIT LBL (nutrition information missing from label, 5 lines) and ALLERGEN (major food allergen not declared, 3 lines). A charge describes what FDA's reference table says about one shipment line, not about every firm.
- Which import alerts cover chocolate and cocoa from South Africa?
- As of October 26, 2026, no import alert numbered under this category lists a firm in South Africa in SupplierRadar's records. General food alerts numbered 99-xx can still list South Africa 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.