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Before placing a wholesale food order with an overseas supplier, confirm what you need to arrange to bring the goods into the United States. Ask for the ingredient list, label artwork, manufacturer’s details, and the conditions under which the food must be stored and transported.
For many commercial food imports, preparation includes checking food facility registration, identifying who is responsible for supplier verification, arranging FDA prior notice, and preparing the customs entry. The exact requirements depend on the food, the facilities involved, and the shipment.
This guide is for businesses importing food for resale, distribution, food service, or manufacturing. It covers commercial shipments such as pallets of packaged foods, containers of ingredients, and refrigerated or frozen cargo.
Give your customs broker enough information to identify what you are importing. A description such as “assorted groceries” leaves questions about the individual products, ingredients, and manufacturers.
Request a product breakdown from the supplier. For each item, try to obtain the following:
Name, Ingredients, Manufacturing location, Packaging, and the Intended use.
Explain whether it will be sold directly to consumers, supplied to restaurants, or used in further production.
FDA regulates most foods entering the United States, including many packaged foods, beverages, ingredients, and seafood products. Imported foods must meet applicable U.S. safety and labeling requirements.
Other agencies may also be involved. For plant products, including fresh and processed fruits and vegetables, check the applicable requirements through the USDA’s Agricultural Commodity Import Requirements database. Requirements vary by commodity and country of origin.
Meat, poultry, and egg products regulated by USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service have separate eligibility, certification, and inspection requirements. Those products must come from eligible countries and establishments and be presented for the required import inspection.
Check these conditions before committing to a supplier or shipping date. Ask the manufacturer to identify the facilities that actually produce the goods, especially when you are buying through a trading company.
FDA does not issue a general license approving individual food importers, nor does it approve ordinary food shipments or labels before importation. Businesses must meet requirements based on their products and activities. Certain foods can require additional permits, registrations, or other approvals.
Check the Food Facility Registration
Domestic and foreign facilities that manufacture, process, pack, or hold food for consumption in the United States generally need to register with FDA unless an exemption applies. A foreign facility that must register also needs a U.S. agent to act as its contact with FDA.
Ask the supplier to confirm the registration details for the relevant facility and provide the information the party preparing the import filings needs. Confirm that the business name and address match the facility involved in your shipment.
FDA registration has a renewal cycle. Facilities required to register must renew between October 1 and December 31 of each even-numbered year. FDA’s food facility registration renewal guidance explains the process.
Registration does not establish that every single product made at that facility complies with U.S. requirements. The product, ingredients, manufacturing conditions, and labeling must still meet the applicable rules.
FDA does not charge a food facility registration or renewal fee. A business providing registration assistance or U.S. agent services may charge for its work, so ask what any quoted fee covers.
FDA registration should not be confused with FDA approval or certification. FDA does not issue or recognize a food facility registration certificate, and a certificate sold by a private registration company does not mean that FDA has approved the facility or its products.
Food facility registration information is also not publicly searchable. If you are buying from an overseas manufacturer, ask the supplier to provide its registration information directly and give the relevant details to the party preparing the entry. Do not rely on an “FDA certificate” supplied by a third party as evidence that the food itself is admissible.
For a commercial food shipment, the main steps are:
The Foreign Supplier Verification Program, usually called FSVP, places food-safety responsibilities on the importer identified under FDA’s rules.
For foods subject to the full requirements, the importer must develop, maintain, and follow a program addressing the food’s hazards, the supplier’s performance, appropriate verification activities, corrective action, and records. Certain foods and importers qualify for exemptions or modified requirements.
Under FDA’s definition, the FSVP importer is generally the U.S. owner or consignee of the food at the time of entry. This includes a person in the United States who owns the food, has purchased it, or has agreed in writing to purchase it.
Where there is no U.S. owner or consignee, the FSVP importer is the U.S. agent or representative of the foreign owner or consignee, with a signed statement consenting to that role.
Establish this arrangement before shipping. For example, a foreign brand sending stock to a U.S. warehouse should confirm who meets the FSVP importer definition and who will perform the required work. The warehouse’s delivery address alone does not settle that question.
For food entries subject to the identification requirement, FDA requires the FSVP importer’s name, email address, and an accepted unique facility identifier. FDA currently recognizes the DUNS number for this purpose.
Confirm those details with the responsible business and give them to the party preparing the entry. Keep the contact information current so that questions reach somebody who can respond.
A qualified individual must perform FSVP work with the education, training, or experience needed for the assigned activities. Discuss who will review the supplier, maintain the records, and respond if food-safety information changes.
A customs broker can prepare and transmit entry information, but appointing a broker does not automatically make it your FSVP importer. The foreign facility’s U.S. agent also has a separate registration-related role. Confirm each responsibility explicitly.
Obtain the final label artwork while the supplier can still make changes. Ask for a review of the product description, ingredients, allergen declarations, nutrition information, required business details, and any claims made on the packaging.
FDA applies labeling requirements to imported foods, including rules concerning Nutrition Facts and major food allergens. Check the requirements and available exemptions for the specific product.
For allergen labeling, check the full formulation, including ingredients within sauces, coatings, seasonings, and other components. FDA’s food allergen guidance explains the requirements for declaring major allergens, including sesame.
FDA food-labeling requirements are not the only packaging rules to check. CBP also has country-of-origin marking requirements for imported goods.
Unless an exception applies, imported articles or their permitted containers generally need to identify the country of origin in English so the ultimate purchaser can determine where the product comes from. For food sold in its imported retail packaging, review the final package for both FDA labeling requirements and CBP country-of-origin marking.
Do not assume that an FDA-compliant Nutrition Facts panel, ingredient list, and allergen declaration mean the package is ready for customs purposes. Country-of-origin treatment can require a separate review, particularly where products are processed in more than one country or repacked after importation.
Give the reviewer the actual artwork that will appear on the imported goods. Keep a dated copy with the product specifications, and ask the supplier to notify you before changing either.
Certain shelf-stable acidified foods and low-acid canned foods require additional establishment registration and scheduled-process filings. FDA’s requirements can depend on the product, container size and type, and processing method.
For affected products, the import information can include a Food Canning Establishment number, or FCE, and a Submission Identifier, commonly called an SID. Confirm that the information supplied corresponds to the product and packaging being shipped.
Ask the manufacturer to establish whether these rules apply. A product being bottled, canned, or shelf-stable is not enough to determine the regulatory category. FDA provides separate registration and process-filing guidance for acidified and low-acid canned foods.
Contact the broker with the available documents before the cargo moves. Explain what is still missing and when the supplier expects to provide it.
For a commercial food shipment, assemble the following information:
| Document or information | Details to provide |
| Commercial invoice | Buyer, seller, individual products, quantities, prices, currency, and origin information. |
| Packing list | Carton and pallet counts, weights, package sizes, and how the products are arranged. |
| Transportation documents | Bill of lading or air waybill when available, arrival details, and shipment references. |
| Product information | Ingredients, label artwork, intended use, manufacturing details, and storage requirements. |
| Facility and FSVP details | Relevant registration information, the responsible FSVP importer’s details where required, and any applicable exemption information. |
| Additional product records | Any required permits, certificates, process-filing information, or other supporting documents identified during the review. |
Treat this as an inquiry checklist. The records required for a particular food depend on its regulatory treatment; FDA checks different registration, product, and entry information as applicable.
Our guide to documents for customs clearance explains the main commercial and transportation documents in more detail.
For a mixed shipment, keep each product identifiable across the invoice, packing list, and supporting records. Use consistent descriptions and explain any differences in quantities or packaging.
A1’s account-opening process also includes approving the quote and signing a power of attorney authorizing the brokerage work. Allow time for that setup before filing the entry.
Prior notice informs FDA about an incoming food shipment. For covered shipments, FDA must receive and confirm it before arrival within the timeframe applicable to the transport method.
The minimum notice periods are two hours for road shipments, four hours for air or rail shipments, and eight hours for shipments arriving by water. These are minimum regulatory periods, not recommended deadlines for first contacting your broker.
Confirm who will submit the notice and how they will get accurate product, manufacturer, and arrival information. Prior notice can be filed through the customs electronic interface or through FDA’s Prior Notice System Interface. FDA explains both routes in its prior notice filing guidance.
For applicable ocean shipments, there is also a CBP Importer Security Filing, or ISF. The main ISF information must be filed no later than 24 hours before the cargo is loaded aboard the vessel destined for the United States. Other data elements have different deadlines.
Keep both filings in the shipment plan. Ask the supplier or forwarder for any confirmations already issued, and share them with your broker so everyone knows what has been completed.
The customs entry identifies the imported merchandise and provides the information CBP needs to process it. For FDA-regulated foods, the entry filer also transmits the relevant FDA information for review. A licensed customs broker can submit entry information and payments on the importer’s behalf.
FDA may allow the goods to proceed following its electronic review, request supporting documents, or select the shipment for examination or sampling. Complete entry information helps the reviewer assess the shipment; the reviewer may need more information when the transmission leaves a question unanswered.
No. FDA reviews entry information for regulated products, but that does not mean every food shipment receives a physical inspection.
FDA first screens the electronic entry information. A shipment supported by complete, accurate, and valid data may be released without further review. Other entries can be sent for human review, followed by a request for documents, examination or sampling, detention, or release depending on the circumstances. FDA describes this process in its Entry Review guidance.
For an importer, the practical point is to provide accurate product and manufacturer information at the outset and remain available if FDA asks for labels, ingredient lists, processing records, certificates, or other supporting material.
Ask your broker to explain the status of each applicable agency review. Goods undergoing FDA admissibility review must not be distributed into U.S. commerce before FDA has determined that they may enter.
The wider U.S. customs clearance process also includes importer setup, classification, duties, any required bond, and the remaining work associated with release.
Share the product’s storage instructions with the transport provider before booking. Specify whether the shipment needs ambient, chilled, or frozen handling, together with the receiving facility’s hours and unloading requirements.
For temperature-controlled food, ask how the required conditions will be maintained in transit, during any examination, and while waiting for collection. Confirm the arrangements for each stage rather than assuming they are included in the freight price.
Keep the delivery appointment flexible enough to account for the actual release status. Relay updates between the broker, forwarder, trucking provider, and receiving facility.
Request an itemized quote based on the actual products and the work required. Ask the broker to separate customs entry services, applicable FDA filings, duties, bond arrangements, and any additional services.
A1’s published brokerage work includes classification, duties, documentation, government agency requirements, and cargo release. Give the team the product data needed to assess that scope.
Discuss food-safety work separately with the provider. FSVP support, label review, supplier testing, and registration assistance should each have an agreed scope where they are required.
For recurring imports, provide your expected shipment frequency and ask whether a continuous customs bond is appropriate. A1 already assists importers with bond requirements as part of its brokerage services.
Include destination handling, storage, and delivery in the overall budget. Ask which charges are confirmed, which are estimated, and which would arise only if additional work becomes necessary.
Start with the notice or request issued for the specific entry. Ask what information is outstanding, who must provide it, and what deadline applies.
FDA may request documents or take samples when reviewing a shipment. An import alert can also identify products or firms subject to detention without physical examination, allowing detention without first examining that particular shipment.
Check FDA’s import alert information during supplier review, especially before buying from a new manufacturer. Read the scope of any relevant alert rather than relying only on a name match.
If the cargo has already arrived, send A1 the entry or shipment reference, the FDA notice, and the documents submitted so far. Keep the manufacturer available to answer questions about the product or its production.
Confirm the approved storage and handling arrangements while the issue is being reviewed. Do not make your own arrangements to distribute, relabel, recondition, or otherwise alter goods under a hold without first establishing what the authorities permit.
Our guide to a shipment stuck at Customs covers the wider clearance questions to investigate when freight has not been released.
Keep a current file for each product and manufacturer. Include the agreed specifications, labels, registration details, relevant process information, and the contacts responsible for answering customs or food-safety questions.
Ask suppliers to notify you before changing the formulation, production facility, packaging, or processing method. Send those changes to the people handling your compliance and entry work before booking the next shipment.
FSVP is an ongoing obligation for importers subject to the rule. Supplier verification, records, corrective action, and reassessment must continue as required after the first shipment clears.
For planned monthly or seasonal shipments, share your schedule with your broker in advance. Identify the person on your team who will provide documents, approve charges, and respond to questions when cargo is moving.
A1 Worldwide Logistics provides customs clearance services for food products and perishables, along with FDA registration assistance, classification, documentation, and other published customs consultation services. We can also arrange final delivery where included in the agreed service.
Contact us with the products you plan to import, their ingredients and manufacturers, the country of origin, shipment value, and expected arrival port or airport. Tell us whether the goods are shelf-stable, refrigerated, or frozen.
Send the following:
Available invoice, packing list, label artwork, and transportation documents.
Also, include relevant registration and FSVP information, and explain whether you need customs brokerage only or freight and delivery support as well.
For a shipment already in transit or already arrived, include any notices identifying holds or missing information. Establishing the current status helps our team review the work required.
Call 305-821-8995 to discuss your commercial food shipment with A1 Worldwide Logistics. From our North Miami office, we support importers using South Florida gateways and other U.S. ports.
Regulatory note: This guide presents general information about commercial food imports into the United States and was checked against official sources on September 22, 2026. It is not legal advice or a product-specific compliance determination. Requirements vary by food, ingredients, processing method, manufacturer, origin, and planned use. Confirm FDA, USDA, CBP, and other applicable requirements before purchase and shipment. Assess any exemption or modified requirement for the particular circumstances. Customs brokerage services do not automatically include acting as the FSVP importer, developing an FSVP, or providing food-safety certification.
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