Companies in New Jersey and Texas warned for failing to verify foreign suppliers

As part of its enforcement activities, the Food and Drug Administration sends warning letters to entities under its jurisdiction. Some letters are not posted for public view until weeks or months after they are sent. Business owners have 15 days to respond to FDA warning letters. Warning letters often are not issued until a company has been given months to years to correct problems.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has issued warning letters to two companies for failing to comply with the Foreign Supplier Verification Program (FSVP), which ensures imported food meets U.S. safety standards. The warnings, sent to Radhaswamy Inc. (dba Raja Foods LLC) and Garcia Fresh Vegetables LLC, cite repeated violations and a lack of corrective actions following previous inspections.

Raja Foods LLC
Edison, NJ

The FDA inspected Raja Foods LLC, located in Edison, NJ, from Aug. 1-12, 2024, as a follow-up to a prior inspection conducted in early 2023. The agency found the company had not developed, maintained, or followed an FSVP for most of its imported products, including brown basmati rice and mango-flavored candy.

At the conclusion of the inspection, FDA investigators issued a Form 483a detailing violations, but the company failed to respond. The FDA had previously requested corrective actions in 2023, but Raja Foods did not submit any FSVP documentation.

Additionally, the company acknowledged that its imported Mung (Moong) beans from a supplier in India had been placed on Import Alert 99-08 due to pesticide contamination but failed to take corrective action. Under federal law, companies must immediately address such hazards to prevent unsafe food from entering the U.S. market.

The full warning letter can be found here.

Garcia Fresh Vegetables LLC
McAllen, TX

Garcia Fresh Vegetables LLC, based in McAllen, TX, was inspected on Dec. 3, 2024. This marked the company’s third FDA inspection, following previous visits in 2019 and 2022. Despite prior warnings, the company still had not developed or implemented an FSVP for its imported fresh produce.

The FDA noted that Garcia Fresh Vegetables imports products that may fall under the Produce Safety Rule, requiring verification that foreign suppliers adhere to equivalent U.S. food safety standards. The company failed to provide any documentation proving compliance.

The agency warned that failure to address these violations could result in the detention of imported products without physical examination and further enforcement actions.

The full warning letter can be found here.

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