Country Favor Inc. warned for foreign supplier verification failures

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.

Country Favor Inc.
Maspeth, NY

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has issued a warning letter to Country Favor Inc., located in Maspeth, NY, for significant violations of the Foreign Supplier Verification Program (FSVP). The letter, dated March 14, follows a follow-up inspection conducted on Feb. 13, after an initial inspection from June 1 to July 5, 2023.

The FSVP regulation requires importers to verify that food imported into the United States meets U.S. safety standards, ensuring conditions equivalent to domestic regulatory requirements. The FDA found that Country Favor Inc. failed to develop, maintain or follow an FSVP for any of the foods it imports from multiple foreign suppliers.

Inspection findings
During the February 2025 inspection, FDA investigators determined that Country Favor Inc. did not have an FSVP in place for foods from several foreign suppliers, including those located in undisclosed regions.

At the conclusion of the inspection, the agency issued a Form FDA 483a outlining the violations. The company has not responded to this form or to a previous Form FDA 483a issued on July 5, 2023, despite being given opportunities to address the issues.

FDA’s concerns
The FDA emphasized that the company’s failure to comply with FSVP regulations could allow unsafe food to enter the U.S. market. The agency warned that continued noncompliance may lead to further enforcement actions, such as refusal of admission for the implicated products or placement on detention without physical examination under Import Alert #99-41. Additionally, importing food without a compliant FSVP is a prohibited act under federal law.

The warning letter is not an exhaustive list of violations, and the FDA urged Country Favor Inc. to take immediate corrective action to ensure compliance with the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act and the FSVP regulation.

The full warning letter can be viewed here.

(To sign up for a free subscription to Food Safety News, click here.)