FDA Adds Swedish Candy, Mexican Sauces to Illegal Color Import Alert
FDA added products from 12 foreign firms to Import Alert 45-02 in October, citing uncertified, non-permitted or undeclared colors in candy, sodas and sauces.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) added imported candies, sodas and hot sauces to its illegal color import alert in October. Products from 12 foreign firms were listed, and five are Swedish confectioners.
TLDR
- Twelve firms had products added to Import Alert 45-02 between October 7 and October 20, 2026.
- Firms are based in Sweden, Belgium, Denmark, Spain, Jordan, Mexico and Cameroon.
- Flagged colors include uncertified Blue No. 1, carmine, curcumin, Ponceau 4R and carmoisine.
- Separate alerts added foods for Salmonella and produce for pesticide residues.
How Import Alert 45-02 Works
Import Alert 45-02 covers “Foods Containing Illegal and/or Undeclared Colors.” Listed products face detention without physical examination (DWPE). That means shipments can be held at the border without sampling. Firms can seek removal by meeting the criteria for the alert’s “Green List.”
Food Safety News flagged the latest changes in its October 20 roundup of FDA import enforcement.
Which Products Were Listed
Candy dominates the October entries. Swedish firms Candy People, Cloetta Sverige, Bubs Godis, Franssons Konfektyrer and Mormor Lisas Konfektyr were added. Belgium’s Astra Sweets, Denmark’s Toms Confectionery Group and Spain’s Vidal Golosinas joined them.
The most common problem was FD&C Blue No. 1, which FDA marked “uncertified.” Several Swedish sour candies were flagged for curcumin, carmine or yellow safflower as non-permitted. Many entries note colors declared only by European E-numbers, such as E133.
Beverages also appear. Jordan’s Defaf Al-Nahrayn had four Matrix carbonated soft drinks listed for Ponceau 4R, tartrazine and other colors. Boissons du Cameroun’s TOP Grenadine and TOP Pamplemousse drinks were added October 20. FDA cited undeclared carmoisine and tartrazine.
From Mexico, Comercializadora Sofinic’s gum-filled baby bottle candy was flagged for five synthetic colors, including erythrosine (Red No. 3). Productos Carey’s Goya Salsita hot sauces were listed for curcumin, Blue No. 1 and copper chlorophyllin.
Salmonella and Pesticides
Under Import Alert 99-19, FDA added Bulgarian pumpkin seeds, Indian hulled sesame seeds and Indonesian edible bird’s nest for Salmonella. Under Import Alert 99-05, it listed Mexican tomatillos, radishes and prickly pears for pesticide residues. Dominican sweet peppers and Brazilian papaya were also added.
Why It Matters
For importers and brand teams, a formula that is legal in Europe is not automatically legal in the U.S. Natural colors like carmine and curcumin still drew detentions. E-number-only labels did too. Teams sourcing imported candy, beverages or sauces should check each color and its label declaration against U.S. rules before shipping.
Sources: Food Safety News; FDA Import Alert 45-02; FDA Import Alert 99-19; FDA Import Alert 99-05.