Your Spanish food brand already sells at home. Now you want a US shelf.

What changes and what does not

What does not change

• The taste and identity of your brand. The job is a US shelf without turning the product into something else.
• Your plant and your production capacity at origin.
• The entry rules: they apply to Spain-origin product the same way they apply to any origin outside North America. USMCA does not apply to Spain-origin product.

What does change

• The label. Required information goes in English. You can keep Spanish on pack, but if the label carries any Spanish text, all required information must also appear in Spanish (21 CFR 101.15).
• The ingredient statement, checked against US federal rules and against the ingredient lists retailers apply on top of the law.
• Who stands at the border: a US company as importer of record and, in most cases, as FSVP importer.
• The channel: specialty and gourmet, Hispanic grocery, club, foodservice or regional supermarket. The channel picks the distributor, not the other way around.

How it works, from Spain to the US

1. Brand evaluation

You send the brand, category, storage condition (shelf-stable, refrigerated or frozen) and where you stand in the US today. We review the label, the ingredient statement and channel fit, and tell you plainly what would have to change for a US listing. That is not a placement promise.

2. Border roles

On the programs it distributes, FISA acts as importer of record and handles the customs entry. CBP's overview of the basic entry path: Basic Importing and Exporting (CBP).

Before the first shipment, the foreign facility must register with FDA and designate a US agent: Registration of Food Facilities (FDA) and 21 CFR 1.232.

Every food shipment offered for import needs Prior Notice to FDA: Prior Notice (FDA) and 21 CFR 1.279.

The FSVP importer verifies that the foreign supplier produces the food safely: FSVP (FDA) and 21 CFR Part 1 Subpart L. When a distributor buys at entry, it often fills that role. Get it in writing who is importer of record and who is FSVP importer before you ship samples.

3. Label and ingredients

We read your current label and ingredient statement against US federal requirements and against the ingredient standards retail buyers apply on top of them.

Packaged food must meet 21 CFR Part 101: statement of identity, ingredients in descending order by weight, name and place of business of the manufacturer, packer or distributor, and nutrition labeling where required (21 CFR 101.9). FDA guide: Food Labeling Guide. Allergens: Food Allergies (FDA).

A product can be legal at FDA and still fail a chain's restricted ingredient list. Artificial colors are a common block in US retail.

4. Reformulation when needed

When an ingredient blocks a listing, we reformulate: the profile is rebuilt without that ingredient. That does not guarantee a listing.

5. Warehouse and sell-in

We warehouse in Texas. We sell and service the product with US retail and foodservice accounts. Territory today: Texas, Southern California, Arizona, Illinois and Utah.

Cured ham and other meat products

Meat and poultry are not FDA only: they fall under USDA FSIS. Imported meat is governed by 9 CFR Part 327, and foreign country and establishment eligibility sits in 9 CFR 327.2. Spain origin alone is not enough: the establishment and the product must be eligible too. Resolve that before you look for a distributor. Overview: Import & Export (FSIS).

Plant products when APHIS applies

Some plant products, fruits, seeds or other regulated materials need APHIS permits or inspection on top of FDA and CBP. Overview: Plant Imports (APHIS). Confirm your specific product before the first shipment.

Tariffs

Duty depends on the product's classification in the Harmonized Tariff Schedule and on its origin: HTS (USITC). Spain is not under USMCA. Any preferential rate is verified with the classification and origin documents, not with the country name.

Who it is for and who it is not for

For

• Spanish food brands, or brands made in Spain, with proven demand at home.
• Shelf-stable, refrigerated or frozen categories a US channel already buys: specialty and gourmet, sauces and condiments, oils, preserves, bakery and dry grocery, beverages, snacks and prepared foods.
• Brands willing to adjust label, pack or formula for US retail.
• Brands that want one partner for import, compliance, reformulation when needed, warehousing and sell-in.

Not for

• Brands that only want a broker to present them, with no US importer or inventory.
• Meat or poultry items whose FSIS country or establishment eligibility is unresolved.
• Launches without GS1 codes, without product liability insurance, or with a label that cannot move to FDA format.
• Consumers, or sample requests as an end in themselves. Brand evaluation starts commercial work; it is not a store.

What we ask for to evaluate your brand

• Current label and ingredient statement.
• Storage condition and unit and case data.
• Who will be importer of record and FSVP importer, in writing.
• The federal checklist before the first shipment: FDA facility registration, US agent, Prior Notice, FSVP and an English label. Detail in the US food import requirements checklist.

On the programs we distribute, we cover customs entry, label and ingredient review, reformulation if an ingredient blocks a listing, the Texas warehouse and sell-in across the current territory.