Mislabeling your products can harm your business's reputation and cause you to lose sales. Customers want to be able to find all the information they need without having to look hard for it. Moreover, similar to food and beverage, the FDA requires cosmetic products to be labeled properly. Below is a list of common labeling mistakes and how to fix them before you start selling your products.

Product Name

To prevent misbranding, you need to make sure the front of the label properly lists what the actual product is. For example, “Rose Scented Lotion” would be the proper name for a skin lotion that smells like roses because a fragrance is added to the product. However, if instead the label states “Rose Lotion” this would imply that the lotion contains roses and if it did not contain roses themselves the product would be considered misbranded.

Ingredient List or Not

FDA requires products that make at least one claim to include an ingredient list on the label. For example, if your product ...

Before your products arrive in the United States, you must have a Foreign Supplier Verification Program (FSVP) Plan in place. If you don’t have a physical presence in the USA, then you need to then appoint an FSVP Agent to communicate with the FDA. However, there are a few things you need to know before you start drafting up an FSVP Plan and finding an FSVP Agent.

What is the FSVP?

FSVP is a requirement under the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) created as a preventive measure to prevent foodborne illnesses in the USA. FSVP rule is a way to ensure foreign food suppliers are following the same food safety standards as those required in the USA.

Who must comply with FSVP?

All importers who import food into the US must comply with the FSVP. If you are a US importer and your food is coming from a foreign supplier, you must have an FSVP Plan in place before importing your products. If you do not have a representative in the US then you will need to appoint an FSVP Agent. The FSVP Ag...

Before you enter into a relationship with a copacker, you need to draw up a few contracts. A copacker is a manufacturer that produces your products on your behalf. If you’re a small business just starting out, using a copacker to manufacture your products is a great way to scale your business. Outsourcing your manufacturing needs gives you more time to focus on growing your business and reaching more customers.  

What is a Mutual NDA for a Copacker?

A mutual NDA is an agreement that both you and your copacker sign to protect your business's secrets. An NDA stands for  “non-disclosure agreement” which means that you can have open discussions about your business secrets with a manufacturer without fear of them being stolen. Even if you don’t enter into a business with the manufacturer, your confidential information is protected even after you end negotiations. All you have to do is answer a few questions, print out the agreement, and sign. It’s that simple!

 What is a Copacker Agreeme...

Running a business can be overwhelming if you don’t have all your ducks in a row. You think you’ve checked all the boxes and are ready to ship to the United States, only to find out the facility that manufactures your products is not registered with the FDA. If this is you, US Imports is here to help.

If your brand is manufactured by someone else, you must get permission to register their facility with the FDA. The FDA requires that all U.S. and foreign facilities that manufacture, process, pack or store food, beverages, or dietary supplements exported to the United States must register. If your facility is not registered with the FDA, your business may face serious consequences.

Why Do You Have to Get Permission to Register a Food Facility?

Only the owner of a facility can register with the FDA. However, the owner can give someone written permission to register their facility. If you fail to obtain permission from the owner the registration may be rejected by the FDA and your prod...

Did you know that if your label doesn’t meet FDA requirements, it can cause a delay at the port? Label mistakes can have a huge impact on your Amazon business if you don’t know what you’re doing. How can you fix this? You can have your label reviewed by professionals well-versed in FDA labeling regulations. Sure, you could try to figure it out on your own, but is it worth the risk? At US Imports, our FDA specialists help minimize this risk by reviewing your label and providing suggestions to keep your labels compliant with U.S. laws.

How can US Imports help you?

We offer two FDA label review packages. Our Basic Package Label Review provides an extensive review of your label for FDA compliance. As part of this review, you will receive a detailed report with suggested changes to your label. Once you implement the changes, you can resubmit your revised label to us for another review to ensure the changes were made correctly.

Our Expert Package Label Review contains everything in the ...

Are you interested in selling dietary supplements on Amazon, but don’t know where to start?  We hear that a lot and that’s why US Imports has created an Amazon Sellers Essential Bundle. This bundle gives foreign-based companies the essential U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) compliance tools they need to start marketing on Amazon for sales in the United States.  

When you buy this bundle, US Imports will handle your FDA manufacturing facility registration, file your first Prior Notice of Shipment to the U.S., and serve as your U.S. Agent for purposes of compliance with the Foreign Supplier Verification Act.  These compliance tools are must-haves for any non-U.S. company selling dietary supplements in the U.S. 

With the purchase of the Bundle, US Imports will also review your product label for basic FDA compliance and perform an in-depth review of one product claim on your label.   

What’s included in the Bundle

FDA Registration and U.S. Agent

Before you can start selling di...

The food and dietary supplement industries are unique and so are the contracts needed to keep you protected. From marketing agreements to supply contracts, it is important to make sure you document in writing the terms of the deals with your vendors and suppliers to keep your operations running smoothly. At US Imports, we offer customized contracts for food, beverage and dietary supplement businesses that include terms specific to your industry. Here are some of the types of agreements we provide:

General Business

Non-Disclosure Agreement

This is an agreement to protect your confidential information prior to entering into discussions with potential business partners. 

Permission to Register Facility with the FDA

This is a letter that gives someone permission from the owner of a facility to register with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

Purchase Order

A purchase order template can be used over and over again to place orders with your vendors.

Sales Order Confirmation a...

Dietary supplements have become a popular choice for individuals who want to improve their health.  

However, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) does not regulate dietary supplements the same way as prescription or over-the-counter drugs are regulated. In fact, the FDA does not approve dietary supplements before they are available for purchase in the marketplace. To mitigate the potential risk dietary supplements pose to the safety and health of consumers, the FDA requires all supplement labels to list how adverse reactions can be reported.

How does the FDA regulate dietary supplements?

The FDA regulates dietary supplements with the adverse event reporting system. Anyone who experiences an adverse reaction and suspects that a dietary supplement could be the cause can submit an adverse event report. The report is made to either the supplement manufacturer or distributor via the adverse event reporting information provided on the label. The FDA requires this reporting inform...

Every importer of food, beverages and supplements into the United States should be aware of the U.S. FDA’s Foreign Supplier Verification Program, or FSVP. FSVP rules require importers to have a FSVP plan verifying that imported products are manufactured in accordance with U.S. food safety standards. The FSVP also requires importers to designate a qualified FSVP Agent to serve as the point of contact with the FDA.

What is the Foreign Supplier Verification Program?

The Foreign Supplier Verification Program (FSVP) was created by FDA after passage of the Food Safety Modernization Act in 2011. The FSVP rule requires importers to perform “risk-based activities” to verify that the food, beverages and dietary supplements brought into the United States have been produced in a manner that meets U.S. food safety standards. The FSVP rule is complex and can be confusing to importers.  

What is the role of an FSVP Agent?

Foreign businesses who don’t have headquarters or employees physically loc...

The trademark process is incredibly important for businesses. Trademarks help establish brand recognition and protect your business from competitors. They also prevent other companies from profiting off of the goodwill it took you years to develop. And if a competing business sells a faulty product under the guise of your desired mark, the backlash could impact your brand’s reputation.

Two trademark actions, revivals and renewals, can be easily confused with each other. However, they offer solutions to different issues. Trademark revivals are important for resolving missed deadlines during the trademark registration process. In other words, they’re meant for trademarks that are not yet officially registered.

On the other hand, trademark renewals are for registered trademarks. Every registered trademark must be renewed at certain intervals. Once a business does so, the trademark won’t need to be renewed again until the next renewal deadline.

Trademark revivals can resolve missed dea...