Effective October 31, 2025, the FDA will require import certification for shrimp and spices from certain regions of Indonesia due to the risk of potential contamination with Cesium-137. This action represents the first use of the agency’s import certification authority under Section 801(q) of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, as amended by the Food Safety Modernization Act.
The certification requirement ensures that imported food meets U.S. safety standards before it can leave the port of export. This tool enables the FDA to address ongoing food safety problems while maintaining trade for products that comply with certification requirements. The agency may use this authority to prevent repeated safety issues by providing additional oversight prior to shipment. Import certification works alongside FDA’s existing import authorities, such as Import Alerts, to enhance oversight. The alert establishes a tiered system based on contamination risk, allowing products with proper certifications to enter U.S. commerce while preventing potentially contaminated products from reaching consumers.
This action follows detections by U.S. CBP of high levels of Cesium-137 in multiple shipments of shrimp and in a sample of cloves from specific regions of Indonesia. FDA laboratory testing confirmed contamination in food samples, prompting the agency to require certification for future shipments from these areas.
The FDA has issued Import Alert #99-52 to communicate its certification requirements for shrimp and spices from the Island of Java and Lampung Province on the Island of Sumatra in Indonesia.
Additional information, including guidance on the certification process and how it complements existing import tools, is available on FDA’s new import certification webpage: FDA Import Certification
Additional resources can be found at the links below:
FDA Response to Imported Foods Potentially Contaminated with Cesium-137