US FDA approves petition to remove Mang Tomas, UFC, Jufran from Import Alert 99-45
The US Food and Drug Administration (US FDA) has officially approved Nutriasia’s petition to remove Mang Tomas All Purpose Sauce, Jufran Banana Sauce, and UFC Banana Sauce (both Regular and Hot variants) from Import Alert 99-45. Effective immediately, these reformulated products will no longer be subject to detention without physical examination (DPWE), ensuring a more stable supply of these beloved Nutriasia favorites for the US Market.
In their May 16, 2025 letter, the regulatory agency confirmed that Nutriasia has successfully met the criteria for the removal of the products from the import alert. The agency has since sent out the same notification to its field agents across the US.
Angie Flaminiano, President and Chief Operations Officer of Nutriasia expressed the company’s sentiment on this important development. “We are very happy with the approval of our petition. I am sure that our Kababayans and the American consumers who have felt the absence of their beloved Nutriasia products are very happy as well.”
The US FDA issued Import Alert 99-45 last July citing the use of Potassium Iodate (use to iodize salt) in Nutriasia products as the reason for the inclusion in the red list. However, in the Philippines, this is the preferred ingredient (for salt iodization) to comply with the ASIN Law (Republic Act 8172) as it is better suited for humid tropical climates.
Since the import alert, US consumers have been reporting shortages of their favorite Nutriasia products. According to many, the shortage was especially felt during the holidays, and it triggered increased prices as consumers became desperate to secure these much sought after Pinoy condiments and sauces.
According to Richard Rebollido, Senior International Business Manager for Nutriasia, “The social media reaction, the increased prices and the speed by which supplies were depleted showed how much our consumers love our brands, and this moved us to work even harder to get our products off the red list.”
Immediately after the release of the red list, Nutriasia reformulated its US bound products. Shipments of the reformulated products resumed sometime in August, and some of the products were released and cleared for sale. But because of the alert, some were still detained without physical examination.
Early this year, the company formally filed the petition to have Nutriasia products removed from the import alert.
“As a responsible company that adheres to the laws and regulations of every market where our products are sold and distributed, we respect the position and the processes of regulatory agencies like the US FDA,” said Mario Mendoza, Head of New Business Development and International Business for Nutriasia.
“We followed the process and provided the documentation required to properly evaluate the actions we have taken to comply with the standards. Throughout the review process, we were guided by several government agencies from the Philippines and the United States.
We are very thankful for the assistance from the Philippine Department of Trade and Industry, the Philippine Food and Drug Administration, the US Department of Commerce, the US Embassy in Manila, Philippine Ambassador to the US, Ambassador Jose Manuel G. Romualdez, and the Philippine Embassy in Washington, DC.,” he continued.
“With the removal of our products from the red list, consumers who have missed our products in the past months can now look forward to uninterrupted supplies moving forward. We at Nutriasia extends our sincerest appreciation to our kababayans and loyal American consumers who have expressed their love for our brands and patiently waited for supplies to return to normal. They inspire us to continue innovating to deliver Pina-sarap and Pina-saya products that create sweet and happy moments through their familiar taste and reliable quality.”
