What Prior Notice is
Prior Notice is advance notification to FDA of an incoming food shipment, required under 21 CFR Part 1, Subpart I. It lets FDA target inspections at ports of entry before the shipment physically arrives. Honey follows the identical filing requirement as every other FDA-regulated food.
Timing requirements
| Mode of arrival | Minimum notice before arrival |
|---|---|
| By water | 8 hours |
| By air or rail | 4 hours |
| By road | 2 hours |
The clock starts when FDA confirms your submission for review — not when you hit submit. Build in buffer time, especially near holidays or high-volume shipping windows.
What has to match
- Facility registration number — must match the packing or processing facility's active registration
- FDA product code — must correctly identify the honey form (raw, filtered, creamed, blended, flavored)
- Country of origin — must accurately reflect where the honey was actually produced, not merely where it was last packed or transshipped through
- Import alert status — shipments from firms on an active EMA-related import alert face heightened scrutiny regardless of what's declared
Transshipment turns an origin field into a customs-fraud issue
Honey has a well-documented history of being routed through a third country to disguise true origin and evade antidumping duties on honey from certain countries. An origin declaration on the Prior Notice that's inconsistent with known trade patterns is more likely to draw a closer look — this isn't just an FDA labeling concern, it overlaps directly with US Customs and Border Protection enforcement.
Frequently asked
When does the Prior Notice clock start for honey shipments?
When FDA confirms the submission for review — not the moment you submit it.
Why does country of origin get extra scrutiny on honey Prior Notice filings?
Because honey has a documented transshipment history used to evade antidumping duties, so inconsistent origin declarations are more likely to trigger closer review.