Fruit & Vegetable Preserves & Specialty Foods

Low-acid canned foods (LACF) and acidified foods must be produced at foreign establishments registered with FDA under 21 CFR Part 108, and the scheduled processes must be filed with FDA before importation. Failure to meet these requirements can result in detention at the port of entry, regardless of the product's general food safety status.

Classification of mixed fruit preparations typically follows the essential character rule, with the predominant fruit by weight or value determining the applicable HTS heading. When composition is ambiguous, the 'other' or residual tariff lines within Chapter 20 often apply. Importers should obtain a binding ruling from CBP when the primary ingredient is genuinely uncertain, as duty rates can vary meaningfully across fruit-specific lines.