Exporting food from Guyana to the United States: what FDA requires

Why this matters

The United States is one of the most valuable markets for Guyanese food, from seafood to pepper sauce to packaged foods for the diaspora. But a shipment can be detained or refused at the US port if the facility isn't registered, the label is wrong, or the food safety paperwork isn't in place. Most of these problems are preventable before the goods ever leave Georgetown.

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulates most foods. Meat, poultry, and some egg products fall under the US Department of Agriculture instead and have separate rules not covered here.

1. Register your facility with FDA

Any facility that manufactures or processes, packs, or holds food for US consumption must register with FDA before shipping. Foreign facilities must name a US agent, a person or company in the United States who serves as FDA's contact.

Registration must be renewed every even-numbered year between October 1 and December 31. 2026 is a renewal year, so a registration that isn't renewed by December 31 lapses. Registration requires a unique facility identifier; FDA currently accepts a DUNS number.

Registration is free. FDA does not issue registration certificates, so be cautious of anyone selling you an "FDA certificate."

2. Put the right written food safety system in place

Which rule applies depends on what you make. Most exporters fall under one of these:

• Most processed and packaged foods: the Preventive Controls for Human Food rule (21 CFR Part 117). You need good manufacturing practices and a written food safety plan covering hazard analysis, preventive controls, monitoring, corrective actions, verification, and a recall plan. The plan must be prepared or overseen by a Preventive Controls Qualified Individual. Very small businesses have modified requirements.
• Fish and seafood: the Seafood HACCP rule (21 CFR Part 123). You need a hazard analysis, a HACCP plan for any hazard reasonably likely to occur, and documented monitoring of key sanitation conditions, overseen by someone trained in seafood HACCP.
• Pepper sauce, achar, pickles, and other acidified foods: 21 CFR Parts 108 and 114. The facility must register with FDA as a food canning establishment, file a scheduled process for each product, and operate under a supervisor who has completed approved training. Whether a product counts as acidified depends on its ingredients and pH, so have it tested.
• Juices: the Juice HACCP rule (21 CFR Part 120).
• Farms growing fresh produce for export: the Produce Safety Rule (21 CFR Part 112) may apply.

3. Get the label right

Labeling problems are a common reason for detention at the US port. A US label must be in English and include:

• The common name of the food
• Net quantity in both metric and US units (for example, 340 g / 12 oz)
• An ingredient list in descending order by weight
• The name and address of the manufacturer, packer, or distributor
• The country of origin
• A Nutrition Facts panel, unless an exemption applies
• Major food allergens clearly declared: milk, eggs, fish, crustacean shellfish, tree nuts, peanuts, wheat, soybeans, and sesame

4. Prior notice for every shipment

FDA must receive prior notice of every food shipment before it arrives. The deadline depends on how it travels: at least 8 hours before arrival by sea and 4 hours by air. Your US importer or customs broker usually files it, but the details must match your registration and your paperwork exactly.

5. What your US importer will ask for

Under the Foreign Supplier Verification Program (FSVP), the US importer is legally responsible for verifying that your food meets US safety requirements. In practice, that means they will ask you for documents: your hazard analysis, food safety or HACCP plan, audit reports, test results, and records showing the plan is followed.

Suppliers who can hand over a complete, organized package are the suppliers importers keep. Suppliers who can't are the first to be replaced.

6. Be ready for an FDA inspection

FDA inspects foreign food facilities, including in the Caribbean. Keep your records current and organized. Refusing an FDA inspection can result in your products being refused entry, and repeated problems can place a company on an FDA import alert, where its shipments can be detained without examination.

7. Don't forget the Guyana side

Before goods leave Guyana, check export requirements with the Guyana Food Safety Authority, which handles approval of food exports and issues sanitary certificates for export consignments. Requirements under Guyana's Food Safety Act are being amended, so confirm current documents before each new product or market.

Quick checklist

• FDA facility registration current, with a US agent and a unique facility identifier
• Written food safety plan or HACCP plan that fits your product
• Acidified foods: canning establishment registration and scheduled processes filed
• US-compliant English label with allergens declared
• Prior notice filed for every shipment
• A document package ready for your US importer
• Guyana export approval and certificates confirmed