01
Proven demand at home.
Your product already sells in retail chains or holds a clear position in its category in your home market. We do not launch concepts.
For International Food Brands
Your brand, sold in the United States.
We import international food brands into the United States, take them through retailer ingredient review, and sell them into US accounts. When an ingredient blocks the listing, we reformulate it.
CRAVEABLE
CLEAN
CONSISTENT
COMPLIANT
FDA RegisteredFSSC 22000USMCA 0% Tariff15-Day Lead Time
What we cover
Import and customs
We serve as importer of record, handle customs entry, and manage the documentation your product needs to clear into the United States, including FDA facility and prior notice requirements.
Label and ingredient review
We read your current label and ingredient statement against US federal requirements and against the ingredient standards retail buyers apply on top of them.
Reformulation when it is needed
When an ingredient blocks the listing, our formulators rebuild the profile without it at our FDA registered, FSSC 22000 certified facility in Monterrey, Mexico. Samples ship in 15 business days.
Distribution and accounts
We warehouse in Texas, sell, and service the product with US retail and foodservice accounts, and we report back on what moves and where.
The short answer
FISA Lab imports international food brands into the United States and sells them into US retail and foodservice accounts. The work covers importer of record and customs entry, label and ingredient review against US federal rules and retailer ingredient standards, reformulation at our FDA registered, FSSC 22000 certified facility in Monterrey, Mexico when an ingredient blocks a listing, and account level distribution once terms are agreed. Apply with the brand, the category, and the storage condition, and we tell you what a US listing would require.
How this is different from a broker
A broker sells introductions and charges a retainer whether or not your product sells. A conventional importer buys and resells, but ships your product as it is and lets the market decide. We do neither. We take the commercial risk, and we do the technical work so the product is right before it reaches a buyer.
| Capability | US retail broker | Conventional importer | FISA Lab |
|---|---|---|---|
| Buys your product | No | Yes | Yes, or manufactures it under license |
| Monthly retainer or listing fees | Yes, typically | No | No |
| Holds exclusive US rights | No | Sometimes | Yes |
| Importer of record | No | Yes | Yes |
| Adapts your formula and label for US and retailer requirements | No | No | Yes, in our own lab |
| Can manufacture your product | No | No | Yes, for seasonings, sauces, marinades, and other flavor-based products |
| Owns the retailer relationship | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Who this is for.
- Brands with a product that already sells in their home market and no US distribution yet.
- Brands with a regional US position that stalled and needs a distributor who can service accounts.
- Brands whose label or ingredient statement will not pass a US retailer review as written.
- Brands that want one partner for import, compliance, reformulation, and sell-in instead of four.
What we look for
We say no to most brands. These six criteria are how we decide.
02
Shelf-stable first.
Dry, ambient, and shelf-stable products move fastest through our channels. Refrigerated and frozen are evaluated case by case. Meat and poultry products fall under USDA FSIS rules and require an eligible establishment.
03
Fit with our channels.
The product needs a buyer in Hispanic grocery, convenience stores, or foodservice. If your natural buyer is a different channel, we are not the right partner.
04
Retail-ready fundamentals.
A registered trademark in your home market, the ability to produce with GS1 barcodes, product liability insurance or the willingness to obtain it, and a label that can be adapted to FDA format.
05
Capacity and cost structure.
Capacity to supply a regional chain consistently, and a cost structure that supports a distributor margin and a retailer margin without pricing the product off the shelf.
06
Exclusivity.
We work under exclusive US distribution agreements for the agreed categories and territory.
If your brand meets four of these six, apply. If it meets fewer, keep building at home first.
Apply for DistributionMost rejections are ingredient rejections.
A brand that sells well at home often arrives with an ingredient statement a US retail buyer will not accept. Artificial colors are the usual one. MSG, TBHQ, and sodium benzoate come up next.
We formulate the replacement ourselves rather than sending you to look for one. Every formulation we ship is clean label by default: no artificial colors, no MSG, no TBHQ, no sodium benzoate. Samples ship in 15 business days.
Related reading: clean label requirements by retailer and private label manufacturing.
Manufacturing
- FDA registered facility
- FSSC 22000 certified
- Monterrey, Mexico
- USMCA 0% tariff entry
- Samples in 15 business days
How it works.
01
Application
You send the brand, the category, the storage condition, and where you stand in the United States today. The form below is all we need to start.
02
Review
We review the label, the ingredient statement, and the category fit, and we tell you plainly what would have to change for a US retail listing.
03
Terms
We agree on territory, exclusivity, and volumes in writing before anything ships.
04
Launch
Product enters the United States, lands in the accounts we agreed on, and we manage replenishment from there.
Territory today: Texas, Southern California, Arizona, Illinois, and Utah.
Apply for DistributionApply for US distribution.
Seventeen fields. We read every application ourselves and reply with what a US listing would require for your product.
Questions brands ask.
We import the product into the United States, take it through label and ingredient review, reformulate it when an ingredient blocks a retail listing, and sell and service it with US retail and foodservice accounts. One partner covers import, compliance, formulation, and distribution.
Shelf stable and frozen food and beverage: snacks and confectionery, sauces and condiments, beverages and drink mixes, bakery and dry goods, prepared and frozen foods, seasonings and dry mixes. Tell us the category and the storage condition in the application and we answer on fit.
Yes, for the agreed categories and territory. Territory, exclusivity, and volumes are agreed in writing before anything ships.
We reformulate. Our formulators rebuild the profile without the blocking ingredient at our FDA registered, FSSC 22000 certified facility in Monterrey, Mexico. Samples ship in 15 business days.
Artificial colors first, then MSG, TBHQ, and sodium benzoate. Federal rules and retailer ingredient standards are not the same thing: a product can be legal to sell in the United States and still be rejected by a buyer whose own standard is stricter.
We are, on the programs we distribute. That includes the customs entry and the documentation the product needs to clear, so you are not standing up a US import operation to get on shelf.
Both. FISA Lab formulates and manufactures seasoning and flavor systems in Monterrey, Mexico, which is why reformulation is handled in house rather than outsourced. Distribution and manufacturing are separate agreements and you can use either one on its own.
Send the application on this page with the brand, the category, the storage condition, and where you stand in the United States today. We review the label, the ingredient statement, and the category fit, then reply with what a US listing would require. Terms come next, then launch.
Yes. Origin does not matter; fit does. What matters is proven demand at home, a product our channels can sell, and the ability to meet US regulatory and retail requirements.
Yes. You keep your trademark and your brand. The agreement covers exclusive distribution in the United States, plus manufacturing or licensing terms only when the category requires them.
Meat and poultry fall under USDA FSIS rules and can only enter from eligible establishments, so we evaluate them case by case. Dairy has its own import requirements. Shelf-stable products are the fastest path.
It depends on the category and on how much adaptation the product needs. Regulatory work, label changes, and buyer calendars each add time. Count in months, not weeks. We give you a realistic timeline after reviewing your samples.
Also useful: US red dye rules, USMCA benefits, how brands get into US retail, why US retailers reject imported products, and our FAQ.
Apply for Distribution