FDA regulations for sending food abroad

balmerhon...I'm afraid I unintentionally hijacked your thread! I think the FDA registration is important enough to have its own thread, so I'm thinking about doing a little "housecleaning" and splitting this topic so we can get back to talking about toll house cookies (yum!). Any objections? I'll have to give you a few days to answer because I'm not going to be around much until after Easter.

"If you can't dazzle 'em with brilliance, then baffle them with bull****"

ROFL!  

LisaE, houseclean away!  

I think it even deserves a sticky Lisa as many peeps might not know about the new regulations.  Oh and yes it is silly.  I guess they figure they can search people who are going to be on plans, but that still does not stop some jerk with a partner in the USA sending bioterrorist agents in the mail and just putting them in the form of homebaked goods. Maybe I am just of an evil mind, but I do wonder what the discussion was on the topic was when they passed the regulation.

This FDA regulation for sending food abroad is very confusing!! After looking at the FDA Industry System and that form..I am more confused.  
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What company do I use? Job title?  Is this the form just for businesses abroad??? Very confusing!!

Doesn't this tear the red tape off your whatever!  My suitcases look like I'm running an import-export business.  I load up one suitcase with Fluff, Toll House dough, and mac and cheese with the sqeeze cheese packet when I'm going to the UK.  On my way home, I've got PGTips, Schwartz sauce packets, and 40 different cheeses.  I can fly this stuff, but if I mail it, I have to be registered?  It's not like I'm running chocolate covered C4 in Godiva boxes.  Is the government's motto "If you can't dazzle 'em with brilliance, then baffle them with bull****?"  Rant over.

Hahaha!  I do EXACTLY the same thing!  Except I'm usually bringing Twinkies, that Tostidos Chilie Con Queso sauce, Reese's PB Cups, Jelly Bellys, etc. over for my sweetie.  I always bring back some Jaffa Cakes for me.  Last time I think about half my case was full of goodies for him, and I know that on more than one occassion I've brought nearly an entire full-sized carryon full of treats....guess I'll have to save up my goodies and bring them with instead of trying to ship.

POOEY is all I have to say. :-\

Krissy,

Want to start an import-export business?  We already know what would sell! 

Hello
I heard all about this FDA registration thing.  I registered.  It was a nightmare at least to go through it all.  Then I just decided to go to the post office and send a box of food to one of my children.  A big box.  There  was no question and no hassle and no mention of it being registered with the FDA.  I think it's only for a business.  Just my opinion.  And I have sent 3 since then.  Still no problems at all.  Just like always.
Thistledew

I wonder if it's up to the clerk you get 
I had a clerk who refused to give me more than one sheet of Air Mail stickers. My husband went in and got a whole pile of them.

  I think it's only for a business.  Just my opinion.  And I have sent 3 since then.  Still no problems at all.  Just like always.
Thistledew

It's not just for businesses... I found the online instructions very word-y & confusing, so i phoned the supposed helpline.. i stressed that i was not a business... just a private individual, sending a gift of 4 packets of chewing gum to another private individual,  and the hag on the other end confirmed that i definitely had to complete the  form.

But like LisaE said, on the UK end, it must partially depend on the PO clerk you get... the guy didnt even ask me about it, so i said to him, is there some special sticker or something youre meant to use which has a line for the FDA registration number?   He looked at me like i was a freak of nature and said 'you're the only customer i've ever had that's bothered with that.'   

Well, this has thrown a wrench into my move back to the States.  I bought all kinds of teas and jams and other small food items as souvenirs for folks back home.  The movers won't let me send food through them due to these regulations.  I'm going to France for 10 days after I move out of the flat here, so I'm looking at lugging 3 shopping bags of food around with me, or contending with these ridiculous forms to mail the food back.

I just got off the phone with the FDA help desk...the guy I talked to was clueless about filling out the forms.  He did mention that if you try to mail a package without a prior notice confirmation number, the US post office is instructed to contact the FDA and not deliver the package.  Who knows what happens to it then.  Of course, if you just send a package without mentioning that it's food, and the sniffer dogs don't get it...

ARRRGH!

I am late to this party - as usual, but I just sent a large package of chocolate (ahem- not just anychocolates I might add - "Hotel chocolat" chocs to my girlfriend in the US for mid- July and didn't do any of this stuff and the P.Office took no notice!

I put candy/chocolate on the customs declaration form and covered the box with " fragile candy inside for a VIP" & " please could you keep this cool if it is very hot and similar stuff!! and it got there in 5 days, all in perfect order.

Also I noticed someone above ( think it was Krissybelle?) mention Reeces Peanut Butter Cups, if you haven't found them already - you can get them in packs of two in Woolworths, you can also get one of the nutty American candy bars ( hmn- think it's called " nutrageous" or nutoutrageous" )

Sheril

I am late to this party - as usual, but I just sent a large package of chocolate (ahem- not just anychocolates I might add - "Hotel chocolat" chocs to my girlfriend in the US for mid- July and didn't do any of this stuff and the P.Office took no notice!

I put candy/chocolate on the customs declaration form and covered the box with " fragile candy inside for a VIP" & " please could you keep this cool if it is very hot and similar stuff!! and it got there in 5 days, all in perfect order.

Also I noticed someone above ( think it was Krissybelle?) mention Reeces Peanut Butter Cups, if you haven't found them already - you can get them in packs of two in Woolworths, you can also get one of the nutty American candy bars ( hmn- think it's called " nutrageous" or nutoutrageous" )

Sheril

I'm glad i found this post i was gonna send my daughter some of those happy hippos cake thingys they look so cute...

I found reese peanut butter cups at my local asda... along with nutrageous and the reese peanut butter wafer cookie candy that i can't for the life of me remember the name of...

i just got back in the uk and my trunk was packed with log cabin pancake syrup, skippy peanut butter... corn muffin mix... and chili mix  oh and circus peanuts and charleston chews  i also packed bisquick and then found it in the tesco the other day.... dam i coulda used the space for russel stovers sugar free candy... my sweetie is diabetic and for some reason the folks over here don't seem to be concerned about that as much as we are in the states...  sorry carry on...

Stupid question here! I was in Belgium last month and bought some chocolates. Decided to post them from Belgium. Went to postoffice..posted them off to US..without a word from postoffice...on any regulations. They said it would be a five day delivery. The friend I posted these to..just sent me an email saying she had received them. So I gather rule about foods being sent into the US is for the UK only? Just curious.

Stupid question here! I was in Belgium last month and bought some chocolates. Decided to post them from Belgium. Went to postoffice..posted them off to US..without a word from postoffice...on any regulations. They said it would be a five day delivery. The friend I posted these to..just sent me an email saying she had received them. So I gather rule about foods being sent into the US is for the UK only? Just curious.

I have sent food items to the states several times from the UK.  I use my small little local post office that knows me well and they have NEVER asked for the FDA thing and the items have ALWAYS gotten where they are going without any problems.

I think it's one of those over-the-top rules that some just look the other way about. "Can't be arsed" I think is the proper bureaucratic term.

Makes me think that if one place says "no" then just go to the next place down. I hate like anything to say that, but these rules all coming in to force, I just don't think people can keep track of them, or they don't know about them, or they are silently protesting them or they don't have time to deal with them. For whatever reason, some follow the rules and others don't.

It's best to follow the rules/regulations/guidelines.
But sometimes our own ignorance can fall under the radar by sheer luck.