On October 3, 2025, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced that it will begin requiring import certifications for shrimp and all spices from certain regions of Indonesia based on the potential risk of contamination with Cesium-137 (Cs-137). This document provides answers to Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) regarding the scope and impact of the new requirements on the spice industry. This is a developing situation, with limited information available at this point. The information in this document is current as of the date on the title page and may be subject to change.

On October 14, ASTA issued a letter to FDA Deputy Commissioner of Human Foods, Kyle Diamantas, requesting additional time for implementation of Import Alert 99-52 (new import certification requirements for spices from certain regions of Indonesia).

This session presented by Jim Jones, Former Deputy Commissioner for Human Foods FDA, will explore early policy signals on pesticides, chemical contaminants, food safety, and nutrition—and what they could mean for the food and agriculture industries. Gain firsthand insights from a former chemical and food regulator on what to expect from the new administration.

This session presented by Jim Jones, Former Deputy Commissioner for Human Foods FDA, will explore early policy signals on pesticides, chemical contaminants, food safety, and nutrition—and what they could mean for the food and agriculture industries. Gain firsthand insights from a former chemical and food regulator on what to expect from the new administration. will explore early policy signals on pesticides, chemical contaminants, food safety, and nutrition—and what they could mean for the food and agriculture industries. Gain firsthand insights from a former chemical and food regulator on what to expect from the new administration.

In August 2025, ASTA signed onto a letter prepared by the Food and Beverage Issue Alliance (FBIA), requesting that the FDA and USDA grant an extension on the comment period for the agencies' request for information (RFI) on ultra-processed foods.

In August 2025, ASTA signed onto comments written by the Food & Beverage Issue Alliance (FBIA) encouraging FDA to leverage a science-driven, iterative approach for the prioritization of chemicals for post-market assessments. The comments call for FDA to place greater weight on public health risk-related factors, differentiate prioritization and assessment frameworks between intentionally added substances and contaminants, and to enhance transparency and stakeholder engagement opportunities.