Exporting breakfast cereal to USA

[David_Hayward (RIP)]

Do any of you guys know if it is legal to export/import breakfast cereals in to the US of A please? An online friend of our daughter's wanst us to mail him a box or two of chocolate Ready-Brek, which is in fact a quick oat porridge breakfast cereal rather than wheat cereal. A pal imports FROM the States Kelloggs cerals that we have never seen...selling at huge prices. However I have no idea if there is a restriction the other way round to protect against weevils, etc.

[Alex Blair (RIP)]

Originally Posted by David_Hayward

Do any of you guys know if it is legal to export/import breakfast cereals in to the US of A please? An online friend of our daughter's wanst us to mail him a box or two of chocolate Ready-Brek, which is in fact a quick oat porridge breakfast cereal rather than wheat cereal. A pal imports FROM the States Kelloggs cerals that we have never seen...selling at huge prices. However I have no idea if there is a restriction the other way round to protect against weevils, etc.

Dave..
The rules and regs to import or export ANYTHING to the US would sstrangle you ..
Here is an example of some of the requirements..and the web site to follow up on..Bet you won't be sending any brekky food this week..

If the food is packaged, the following mandatory statements must appear on the label in the English language:

(1) Name of the Food: The common or usual name of the food must appear on the principal display panel, in bold type and in lines generally parallel to the base of the package as it is displayed. The form of the product must also be included--@sliced,@ Awhole,@ or Achopped@ (or other style)-- unless shown by a picture or unless the product is visible through the container. If there is a standard for the food (see page 17), the complete name designated in the standard must be used, limitations must be labeled as such (403(e) and 21 CFR 101.3).

(2) Net Quantity of Contents: An accurate statement of the net amount of food in the package. The required units of measure are the avoirdupois pound and the U.S. gallon but metric system measurements may also be used, if desired, in addition to the required declaration in AEnglish@ units. The quantity of contents declaration must appear on the principal display panel of the label in lines generally parallel to the base of the package when displayed for sale. If the area of the principal display panel of the package is larger than 5 square inches, the quantity of contents must appear within the lower 30 percent of the label. The declaration must be in a type size based upon the area of the principal display panel of the package (as listed in 21 CFR 101.105) and must be separated for the other information.

The net weight on packages containing 1 pound (avoirdupois) or more, and less than 4 pounds must be declared first in total avoirdupois ounces followed by a second statement in parentheses () in terms of pounds and ounces, or pounds and common or decimal fractions of the pound. (Example: Net Wt. 24 ounces (1 2 pounds) or net Wt.24 oz. (1.5 lb).) the contents of packages containing less than 1 pound must be expressed as total ounces. Drained weight rather than net weight is required on some products packed in a liquid that is not consumed as food, such as olives in brine.

Net volume of liquid products in packages containing 1 pint or more and less than 1 U.S. gallon must be declared first in total fluid ounces followed by a statement in parentheses () in terms of quarts, pints, and fluid ounces or fractions of the pint or quart. (Example: 40 fluid ounces (1.25 quarts) or 40 fluid ounces (1 1/4 quarts).) Volume of packages containing less than 1 pint must be declared in fluid ounces.

Packages 4 pounds or larger or 1 gallon or larger need not have their contents expressed in terms of total ounces; however, for such packages the contents must be stated in the largest unit weight or measure, with any remainder in ounces or common or decimal fractions of the pound; or in the case of gallons, the remainder in quarts, pints, and fluid ounces, or decimal fractions of the gallon. If the label of any food package also represents the contents in terms of the number of servings, the size of each serving must be indicated.

(3) The name, street address, city, state and zip code of either the manufacturer, packer, or distributor: This information must be placed on either the principal display panel or the information panel. The street address may be omitted by a firm listed in a current city or telephone directory. Imported product labels may omit the zip code. However, if the food is not manufactured by the person or company whose name appears on the label, the name must be qualified AManufactured for, A Distributed by, A or similar expression.

(4) Statement of Ingredients: The ingredients in a food must be listed by their common names in order of their predominance by weight unless the food is standardized, in which case the label must include only those ingredients which the standard makes optional. Most ingredients in standardized foods are Aoptional@ and therefore must be listed on the label. The word Aingredients@ does not refer to the chemical composition, but means the individual food components of a mixed food. If a certain ingredient is the characterizing one in a food (e.g., shrimp in shrimp cocktail) the percent of that ingredient may be required as part of the name of the food.

Food Additives and Colors are required to be listed as ingredients, but the law exempts butter, cheese, and ice cream from having to show the use of color. Spices, flavors and color may be listed as such, without naming the specific materials, but any artificial colors or flavors must be identified as such, and certain coal-tar colors must be names specifically (403(I) and 403(k)).

(5) Nutrition Information: The Nutrition Labeling and Education Act (NL&E Act), signed into law aw on Nov. 8, 1990, represents the first comprehensive revision of the food labeling requirements of the FD&C Act. Under the NL&E Act, nutrition labeling must appear on the food label or in accompanying labeling. FDA has specified a uniform format which must include the serving size, the number of servings per container and the nutrition content of the food per serving, including the amount of each of 11 nutrients specified in the statute, such as calories, sugars, and sodium. The law adds a new section to the FD&C Act which requires nutrition labeling for virtually all food products, replacing the existing FDA nutrition labeling regulations.

The FDA has published A A Food Labeling Guide@ to answers questions on the NL&A requirements, copies may be obtained from:

The Division of Programs and Enforcement Policy (HFS-155)
Office of Food Labeling, Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition
Food and Drug Administration
200 C Street, S.W.
Washington, D.C. 20204
Telephone: (202) 205-5229
http://www.fas.usda.gov/itp/ofsts/us.html

Good luck..

[Bob Carriere]

Are you exporting for resale in the US of Hey or just for your friends personal consumption.....?? personal use may be easy enough...fill a funeral urn....tell them it is your mother in law.

Use Dirk or Brian Gough as a "mule" next time they go over to the UK or the Continent.

Bob

[David_Hayward (RIP)]

It's just for a pal of my daughter's!

[Richard Farrant]

Hi David,

Check this link out, an easy way to send it,

http://www.britsuperstore.com/acatalog/Ready_Brek.html

regards, Richard

[David_Hayward (RIP)]

Brill! Thanks Richard!