Federal law mandates date labels only on infant formula — but channels enforce shelf-life thresholds, states set their own rules, and California narrows legal wording to BEST if Used By and USE By from 2026. Plus the three mistakes Taiwanese exporters make: month/day/year misreads, unreadable placement, and copying the Taiwan expiry date into a US quality date.
FALCPA's eight allergens became nine when the FASTER Act added sesame in 2023 — and Taiwanese sauce sachets are saturated with it. The two legal declaration formats, why fish and tree nuts must be named by species, why the voluntary "may contain" line cannot substitute for mandatory labeling, and the three checks to run before shipping frozen prepared foods.
Pet food crosses more hurdles than human food, not fewer: the same FDA gates, AAFCO nutrient profiles and ingredient definitions on top, and product-by-product state registration underneath — the layer Taiwanese makers most often miss. Plus the two extra mines: meat-containing items and the strictly defined "human grade" claim.
Two decades of Chinese-honey transshipment fraud taught US customs to scrutinize every Asian honey shipment. What a solid origin file contains — certificates, apiary records, season plausibility — what C4 sugar and NMR testing detect, and why running both before shipping is the cheapest insurance a Taiwanese honey exporter can buy.
US pesticide rules run on a tolerance list where unlisted combinations mean zero tolerance — Taiwanese tea that passes at home still gets refused. Tea and coffee sit in a high-sampling band, one violation can trigger an Import Alert with DWPE, and organic claims require US-recognized certification. The full anatomy, and what to fix a season ahead.
Alcohol answers to a federal layer and fifty state layers: the importer must hold a TTB Basic Permit, every label needs COLA approval in advance with the GOVERNMENT WARNING, and most states run three-tier distribution that bans direct-to-consumer sales. The correct sequence runs backwards — channels first, freight last.
MoCRA moved cosmetics visibly toward the drug model: facility registration renewed every two years, product listing, safety substantiation, a U.S. responsible person, and adverse-event reporting. The five requirements in shipping order, why the small-business exemption is not worth leaning on, and the three traps Taiwanese makers hit.
Under DSHEA there is no premarket approval for dietary supplements — and that is exactly where the trap lies. FDA enforces downstream: cGMP under 21 CFR Part 111, NDI notifications for post-1994 ingredients, the Supplement Facts panel, and structure/function claims that must carry the FDA disclaimer. The four gates, in shipping order.
Sauces, canned foods, retort pouches and pickles need a layer of FDA registration most exporters have never heard of: the FCE plant number and SID process filings for low-acid canned foods and acidified foods. Which products are caught, why SIDs multiply per product-container-process, and why your importer legally cannot file them for you.
FDA regulates general food additives and color additives on two completely different tracks: additives run on approval or GRAS, while colors have no GRAS path at all — every color must be pre-listed, and FD&C synthetic colors need FDA certification of every production batch, imports included. What Taiwanese exporters must check in the recipe before shipping.
