FDA Import Alert 99-53

Why FDA issued it

One way FDA oversees the safety of the U.S. food supply, including both domestic and imported products, is by monitoring for toxic substances in food and evaluating the potential exposure and health risks posed by these substances. Naturally occurring toxins are poisonous compounds produced by plants, fungi, and animals such as marine organisms as part of normal metabolic processes or defense mechanisms. While many foods contain naturally occurring toxins at levels that do not pose a health concern under typical consumption patterns, food products containing certain toxins might be considered adulterated, and, if adulterated, are subject to refusal of admission under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FD&C Act). One example of a naturally occurring toxin is amygdalin; a cyanogenic glycoside found in various plant products. Apricot kernels and bitter almonds present the greatest sa

Quoted from the “Reason for Alert” section of the FDA page for 99-53, mirrored 18 October 2026. The quotation is truncated at the length this copy carries.