FDA import refusals
FDA import refusals: seafood from Ukraine
FDA category: Fishery/Seafood Products · October 2016 to October 15, 2025
FDA refused 39 seafood shipment lines from Ukraine between October 2016 and October 15, 2025, 3 of them in 2025; the most refused products were surimi and bream, most often for LISTERIA (Listeria monocytogenes).
Data from FDA public records, last checked .
- 39
- seafood lines refused since October 2016
- 3
- refused so far in 2025
- 6
- firms with the most records, listed below
Seafood refusals from Ukraine by year
Shipment lines FDA refused each year. The table has the same numbers as the chart.
| Year | Refusal lines | vs prior year |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 3 | |
| 2023 | 1 | |
| 2021 | 3 | +200% |
| 2020 | 1 | -83% |
| 2019 | 6 | +50% |
| 2018 | 4 | -73% |
| 2017 | 15 | |
| 2016 (from Oct) | 6 |
Surimi refusals from Ukraine
FDA refused 6 surimi lines from Ukraine between October 2016 and October 15, 2025, 15% of the seafood lines.
| FDA product description | Lines | Share of seafood |
|---|---|---|
| Surimi (used for further processing into imitation seafood) | 6 | 15.4% |
Bream refusals from Ukraine
FDA refused 5 bream lines from Ukraine between October 2016 and October 15, 2025, 13% of the seafood lines.
| FDA product description | Lines | Share of seafood |
|---|---|---|
| Bream | 5 | 12.8% |
Recent bream refusals
| Date | Firm | Product | Charges | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Company StingrayZaporozhye, Ukraine | Bream | MFR INSAN | Source | |
| Company StingrayZaporozhye, Ukraine | Bream | MFR INSAN | Source | |
| Company StingrayZaporozhye, Ukraine | Bream | MFR INSAN | Source | |
| Company StingrayZaporozhye, Ukraine | Bream | MFR INSAN | Source | |
| Company StingrayZaporozhye, Ukraine | Bream | FILTHYMFR INSANLACKS N/C | Source |
Herring refusals from Ukraine
FDA refused 5 herring lines from Ukraine between October 2016 and October 15, 2025, 13% of the seafood lines.
| FDA product description | Lines | Share of seafood |
|---|---|---|
| Herring | 5 | 12.8% |
Recent herring refusals
| Date | Firm | Product | Charges | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Universal Fish CompanyBorispol, Ukraine | Herring | MFRHACCP | Source | |
| Universal Fish CompanyBorispol, Ukraine | Herring | MFRHACCP | Source | |
| Universal Fish CompanyBorispol, Ukraine | Herring | MFRHACCP | Source | |
| Universal Fish CompanyBorispol, Ukraine | Herring | MFRHACCP | Source | |
| Universal Fish CompanyBorispol, Ukraine | Herring | MFRHACCP | Source |
Other seafood products refused from Ukraine
| Product group | Lines | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Salmon | 5 | 12.8% |
| Fish roe | 4 | 10.3% |
| Mussels | 3 | 7.7% |
| Pollack | 3 | 7.7% |
| Sardines | 2 | 5.1% |
| Cod | 1 | 2.6% |
Why FDA refused seafood from Ukraine
FDA records a charge code on each refused line; one line can carry several.
| Charge code | Meaning | Lines | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| LISTERIA | Listeria monocytogenes | 15 | 21% |
| INSANITARY | Prepared, packed or held under insanitary conditions | 13 | 18% |
| NEEDS FCE | Processor not registered for canned or acidified foods | 10 | 14% |
| NO PROCESS | No scheduled process filed | 10 | 14% |
| LACKS N/C | Net quantity statement missing | 7 | 10% |
| COLOR LBLG | Artificial coloring not declared | 6 | 8% |
| MFR INSAN | Insanitary manufacturing, processing or packing | 5 | 7% |
| MFRHACCP | Seafood HACCP requirements not met | 5 | 7% |
| FILTHY | Filthy, putrid or decomposed substance | 1 | 1% |
Import alerts for seafood that list Ukraine firms
| Alert | Covers | Red | Green |
|---|---|---|---|
| 16-39 | Ready-to-eat seafood: Listeria monocytogenes | 9 | |
| 16-119 | Fish products from importer and processor combinations | 3 | |
| 16-120 | Seafood from processors not in compliance with HACCP | 2 | |
| 16-74 | Uneviscerated salt-cured, dried, smoked or fermented fish | 1 | |
| 16-125 | Refrigerated raw fish in reduced oxygen packaging | 1 |
Ukraine seafood firms with the most FDA records
Counts are FDA records in SupplierRadar's data, not a ranking of quality.
| Firm | City | FDA records |
|---|---|---|
| TOV "Universal Fish Company" | Kupyansk | 15 |
| Company Stingray | Zaporozhye | 8 |
| Capsular | Dergachi | 6 |
| Universal Fish Company | Borispol | 5 |
| LLC Aquafrost | Chernomorsk | 3 |
| Alfa Eteks | Cherkassy | 2 |
Latest seafood refusals from Ukraine
| Date | Firm | Product | Charges | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Company StingrayZaporozhye, Ukraine | Bream | MFR INSAN | Source | |
| Company StingrayZaporozhye, Ukraine | Bream | MFR INSAN | Source | |
| Company StingrayZaporozhye, Ukraine | Bream | MFR INSAN | Source | |
| Company StingrayZaporozhye, Ukraine | Bream | MFR INSAN | Source | |
| Company StingrayZaporozhye, Ukraine | Fish roe, fishery products, n.e.c | INSANITARYNEEDS FCENO PROCESS | Source | |
| Company StingrayZaporozhye, Ukraine | Fish roe, fishery products, n.e.c | INSANITARYNEEDS FCENO PROCESS | Source | |
| Company StingrayZaporozhye, Ukraine | Fish roe, fishery products, n.e.c | INSANITARYNEEDS FCENO PROCESS | Source | |
| Alfa EteksCherkassy, Ukraine | Sardines (brisling, sprats, pilchards, etc.) | INSANITARY | Source | |
| Company StingrayZaporozhye, Ukraine | Bream | FILTHYMFR INSANLACKS N/C | Source | |
| Universal Fish CompanyBorispol, Ukraine | Herring | MFRHACCP | Source | |
| Universal Fish CompanyBorispol, Ukraine | Herring | MFRHACCP | Source | |
| Universal Fish CompanyBorispol, Ukraine | Herring | MFRHACCP | Source | |
| Universal Fish CompanyBorispol, Ukraine | Herring | MFRHACCP | Source | |
| Universal Fish CompanyBorispol, Ukraine | Herring | MFRHACCP | Source | |
| LLC AquafrostChernomorsk, Ukraine | Mussels | INSANITARY | Source | |
| LLC AquafrostChernomorsk, Ukraine | Mussels | INSANITARY | Source | |
| LLC AquafrostChernomorsk, Ukraine | Mussels | INSANITARY | Source | |
| Alfa EteksCherkassy, Ukraine | Sardines (brisling, sprats, pilchards, etc.) | NEEDS FCENO PROCESS | Source | |
| TOV "Universal Fish Company"Kupyansk, Ukraine | Whiting (king, northern and silver) | LISTERIA | Source | |
| TOV "Universal Fish Company"Kupyansk, Ukraine | Pollack, pollock | LISTERIA | Source |
Questions about seafood refusals from Ukraine
- How many seafood shipments from Ukraine did FDA refuse in 2025?
- FDA refused 3 shipment lines of seafood from Ukraine in 2025 through October 15, 2025.
- Why does FDA refuse seafood from Ukraine?
- FDA records a charge code on every refused shipment line. For seafood from Ukraine the most frequent are LISTERIA (Listeria monocytogenes, 15 lines), INSANITARY (prepared, packed or held under insanitary conditions, 13 lines) and NEEDS FCE (processor not registered for canned or acidified foods, 10 lines). A charge describes what FDA's reference table says about one shipment line, not about every firm.
- Which import alerts cover seafood from Ukraine?
- As of October 25, 2026, the FDA import alerts for this category that list Ukraine firms are Import Alert 16-39 (9 firms), Import Alert 16-119 (3 firms), Import Alert 16-120 (2 firms) and Import Alert 16-74 (1 firm). General food alerts numbered 99-xx can list Ukraine 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.