The US Food and Drug Administration (US FDA) has lifted import restrictions on three popular Filipino sauces.

In a statement, Nutriasia announced that the US FDA has officially approved on May 16, 2025 the company’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.

The US FDA alert removal means Mang Tomas, UFC and Jufran will no longer be subject to detention without physical examination (DPWE) before entering the US market.

The agency has since sent the same notification to its field agents across the US. "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,” Angie Flaminiano, Nutriasia, president and chief operations officer, said.

The US FDA initially issued Import Alert 99-45 in July last year, citing the use of Potassium Iodate in Nutriasia products as the reason for their inclusion on the red list. This ingredient is used to iodize salt and is the preferred ingredient for salt iodization in the Philippines to comply with the ASIN Law (Republic Act 8172), as it is better suited for humid tropical climates. 

Since the import alert, US consumers reported shortages of these favorite Nutriasia products, with the scarcity particularly noticeable during the holidays, leading to increased prices.

In response to the import alert, Nutriasia immediately reformulated its US-bound products. Shipments of these reformulated products resumed in August, with some products successfully cleared for sale, though others remained subject to detention. 

Early this year, the company formally filed the petition for removal from the import alert. 

Richard Rebollido, Nutrisia senior international business manager noted, “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.”

Mario Mendoza, Head of New Business Development and International Business for Nutriasia, said, “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.”