What Is FDA Prior Notice for Food Imports?
FDA Prior Notice is an advance filing that tells the FDA a food shipment is arriving, required for every spice import into the US.
What is FDA Prior Notice?
FDA Prior Notice is an advance electronic filing that tells the FDA a food shipment is coming before it arrives in the US. It is required per shipment for imported spices and lets the FDA decide whether to examine the goods.
What it is and why it exists
Prior Notice gives the FDA advance sight of every imported food consignment so it can target inspections. It is filed before arrival for each shipment; without an accepted Prior Notice, the goods can be held or refused at the port.
It sits alongside the two other US requirements: FSVP, which puts supplier-verification duty on the US importer, and customs duty under HTS headings 0904-0910 at 0-3% for spice.
How it fits the shipment
- Filed per shipment, in advance of arrival.
- Separate from FSVP, which is an ongoing supplier-verification programme, not a per-shipment filing.
- A gate that lets the FDA examine or sample; spice refusals on Salmonella rose across 2024-25, so a clean test dossier supports smooth clearance.
Frequently asked
Is Prior Notice the same as FSVP?
No. Prior Notice is an advance filing per shipment. FSVP is a standing obligation on the US importer to verify the foreign supplier meets US safety standards. You need both.
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- Filing timing windows
- Exact Prior Notice submission windows vary by transport mode and are set by FDA procedure; specific hour thresholds are not stated here.
Reviewed 16 July 2026.
Sources
- FDA — Foreign Supplier Verification Programs· Tier 1, retrieved 2026-07-16
- USITC — Harmonized Tariff Schedule· Tier 1, retrieved 2026-07-16