FDA Import Alerts = the US FDA's public list of alerts authorizing the detention of imported products before physical examination (DWPE, Detention Without Physical Examination). This slice focuses on the 4 IA-7x-series alerts directly related to pet food (including the latest 2025-2026 releases) — a practical interception-risk map for cross-border pet food exports to the United States.
- Source entry URLs:
https://www.fda.gov/industry/actions-enforcement/import-alertshttps://www.accessdata.fda.gov/cms_ia/ialist.html(full IA list)- Legal basis: FD&C Act Section 801 (21 USC Section 381) — "appearance standard"
- Pull date: 2026-07-20 (Tavily extract)
- Content current as of: 03/03/2025
- Real-time database updates: Import alert databases are updated in real time
4 DWPE Alerts Directly Related to Pet Food (IA-7x Series)
| IA No. | Type | Issued/Updated | Name |
|---|---|---|---|
| 71-02 | DWPE | 2025-05-22 (05/22/2025) | DETENTION WITHOUT PHYSICAL EXAMINATION OF ANIMAL FOODS AND FOOD INGREDIENTS THAT MAY CONTAIN INGREDIENTS OF ANIMAL ORIGIN (detention of animal foods and food ingredients that may contain animal-origin ingredients) |
| 71-04 | DWPE | 2026-04-06 (04/06/2026) | DETENTION WITHOUT PHYSICAL EXAMINATION OF FOOD FOR ANIMALS DUE TO THE PRESENCE OF SALMONELLA (detention of animal food containing Salmonella) |
| 72-06 | DWPE | 2026-03-05 (03/05/2026) | DETENTION WITHOUT PHYSICAL EXAMINATION OF CAT FOOD PRODUCTS DUE TO THE PRESENCE OF PROPYLENE GLYCOL (detention of cat food containing propylene glycol) |
| 72-07 | DWPE | 2026-03-05 (03/05/2026) | DETENTION WITHOUT PHYSICAL EXAMINATION OF POULTRY JERKY-TYPE PET TREATS DUE TO THE PRESENCE OF ANTIBIOTIC AND/OR ANTIVIRAL RESIDUE(S) (detention of poultry jerky-type pet treats containing antibiotic/antiviral drug residues) |
Related Animal-Origin Alerts (Not Pet Food per se, but Affecting the Pet Food Supply Chain)
| IA No. | Type | Date | Name | Pet-Food Relevance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 69-01 | DWPE | 2026-01-30 (01/30/2026) | Medicated Feeds Containing Monensin For Failing To Meet Assay Specifications | Medicated feeds (monensin) |
| 99-29 | DWPE | 2025-07-09 (07/09/2025) | All Vegetable Protein Products From China for Animal or Human Food Use Due to Melamine and/or Melamine Analogs | Vegetable protein ingredients from China (follow-up to the 2008 melamine incident) |
| 99-31 | DWPE | 2025-05-31 (05/31/2025) | Food Products Due to the Presence of Melamine and/or Melamine Analogs | Melamine |
| 99-32 | DWPE | 2026-06-25 (06/25/2026) | Human and Animal Food Products from Foreign Establishments Refusing FDA Inspection | Foreign establishments refusing FDA inspection (incl. pet food) |
What DWPE Means
DWPE = Detention Without Physical Examination: after goods arrive at port, the FDA detains them directly without physical examination and decides whether to release them only after the importer provides evidence.
> "If the import alert has a YELLOW OR RED LIST: DWPE" > "If the import alert has a GREEN LIST: removal pathway (goods may clear customs normally)"
IA 72-06 Propylene Glycol (Cat Food) — Historical Background
- FDA has prohibited Propylene Glycol (PG) in cat food since 1996 (not "early 2010s" — the FDA CVM notice CVM Pub. No. 04-25 / Federal Register 1996-04-19 originally established the cat-food prohibition). PG was used as a humectant in semi-moist cat food.
- PG is relatively safe for dogs, but can cause Heinz body hemolytic anemia in felines — therefore the prohibition applies to cat food only, not to all pet food (狗粮 PG 仍允许)
- US pet food labeling has prohibited added PG in cat food since 1996; IA 72-06 is the enforcement mechanism for imported cat food
- Some early cat foods from China / Taiwan were named in the original enforcement actions
IA 72-07 Antibiotic Residues in Poultry Jerky-Type Treats
- Targets poultry jerky-type pet treats (typical products: chicken jerky, duck strips, turkey strips)
- Key residues: antibiotic / antiviral residues
- Historical major case: in 2011-2014, China-made chicken jerky was linked to 1,000+ reports of canine renal failure + Fanconi-like syndrome
- FDA continues monitoring; re-issued 2026-03-05 (03/05/2026)
IA 71-04 Salmonella
- Covers all food for animals (including pet food)
- Salmonella is a zoonotic pathogen; typical contamination sources in animal food: poultry meat, eggs, rendered meat meals
- Salmonella contamination is a top-3 cause in the US pet food recall database
Related Pet Food Recall Database
See us-2026/fda-pet-recall-index/FDA_pet_food_recall_index_2018_2025.md (existing topic) — IA 71-04 / 72-06 / 72-07 dominate the recall events recorded in that topic.
Slice Navigation
- FDA Green Book pet drugs, 55 entries (US-1): see
us-2026/fda-green-book-recent-approvals/01_pet_drug_approvals_2024_2026.md - FDA Pet Food Recall Index: see
us-2026/fda-pet-recall-index/FDA_pet_food_recall_index_2018_2025.md
Source: pdf-raw/us-approvals/fda-import-alerts-pet-food-20260720.txt · FDA Import Alerts full list (Tavily extract 2026-07-20) · Legal basis: FD&C Act Section 801 (21 USC Section 381)