FDA warns Seattle food firm about violating import regulations

As part of its enforcement activities, the Food and Drug Administration sends warning letters to entities under its jurisdiction. Some letters are only released for public inspection weeks or months after they have been sent. Business owners have 15 days to respond to FDA warning letters. Warning letters are often only issued after a company has been given months or years to resolve problems. The FDA often edits parts of warning letters that are published to the public.

Kim Nhung Marketplace Inc.
Seattle, WA

An import company in Washington state is notified by the FDA because it does not have FSVPs for a number of imported foods.

In an October 1 warning letter, the FDA described a Foreign Supplier Verification Program (FSVP) inspection of records submitted by Kim Nhung Marketplace Inc. in Seattle May 5-21, 2021.

The FDA’s inspection found the company was not in compliance with FSVP regulations and resulted in the issuance of an FDA Form 483a.

In particular, the company has not developed a FSVP for any of the foods it imports, including the following foods:

• Frozen taro imported from (blackened).
• Frozen steamed sweet corn (shelled) imported from (blackened).
• Frozen tapioca noodles imported from (blackened).
• (blackened) rice (blackened) imported from (blackened).

The FSVP requires importers that their overseas suppliers of food for human and animal consumption meet the applicable FDA safety standards.

More specifically, FSVP requires importers to verify that their suppliers manufacture food using processes and procedures that provide the same level of public health protection as the preventive controls in the preventive controls and the current rules of good manufacturing practice for human and pet food and Products Safety US regulations in the Food Safety Modernization Act 2011 and that the food is not adulterated and properly labeled for allergens.

The full warning letter can be viewed here.

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