Q3 Prep: 5 FDA Compliance Items Food Businesses Should Fix Before Holiday Shipping Season
The holiday shipping season hits fast. By the time Q4 arrives, customs queues are longer, FDA scrutiny is tighter, and one compliance gap can delay your entire shipment. Q3 is your window to fix problems before they become expensive ones. Here are five FDA compliance items every food importer should address right now.
Verify Your FDA Food Facility Registration Is Current
Every foreign food facility that ships to the United States must be registered with the FDA. Under FDA regulations, registration must be renewed during every even-numbered year. If your supplier's registration lapsed or was never completed, your goods can be refused at the border. Confirm registration status for every facility in your supply chain before peak season begins.
Audit Your Labeling for FSMA Prior Notice Requirements
Prior notice is not optional. The FDA requires importers to submit prior notice before food arrives at a U.S. port. Errors in prior notice submissions — wrong facility registration numbers, missing country of origin, or incorrect product descriptions — trigger holds. Review your submission process now. A small labeling or data entry mistake during a high-volume holiday shipment can cost you days of detention fees.
Review Nutrition Facts Labels for Compliance
FDA updated its Nutrition Facts label requirements. Many imported products still carry outdated formats. Common issues include incorrect serving size declarations, missing added sugars disclosure, and improper nutrient listings. FDA can detain or refuse products with non-compliant labels. If your product labels have not been reviewed since 2020, they likely need an update before the next shipment.
Confirm Your FSVP Program Is Documented and Current
If you are a U.S. importer, you are probably subject to the Foreign Supplier Verification Program. FSVP requires importers to verify that their foreign suppliers produce food in a manner that meets U.S. safety standards. Documentation must be kept and updated regularly. Many importers set up an FSVP plan once and never revisit it. Supplier changes, new product lines, or updated hazard analyses all require program revisions. An outdated FSVP is a compliance liability waiting to surface during an FDA inspection or import alert review.
Check for Active Import Alerts on Your Suppliers
FDA publishes import alerts that allow port inspectors to detain shipments without physical examination. If one of your foreign suppliers has been added to an import alert list, your products will be detained automatically. This happens more often than importers expect. Before Q4 volume ramps up, run your suppliers against the FDA's import alert database. Discovering an issue now gives you time to find alternative suppliers or pursue removal from the list before the holiday crunch.
Start Q3 With a Compliance Checkup
These five items are not complicated fixes. But they require attention and time — two things that disappear quickly once Q4 shipping volume kicks in. Waiting until October is not a strategy. The importers who move through the holiday season smoothly are the ones who did the compliance work in Q3.
US Imports helps food businesses resolve FDA compliance issues before they cause shipment delays. Whether you need FSVP documentation, label review, prior notice support, or supplier verification, the team at US Imports can help you get ready.
Get started today: https://www.usimports.us/services
