Americans eat a lot of imported foods—and demand is growing with the likes of plant proteins, seafood, new varieties of vegetables and fruits, and even beef, along with simple ingredients such as spices and coconut milk.
To help meet consumer demand, U.S. food manufacturers and retailers look outside of the country. As of 2019, the U.S. imported about 15% of its overall food supply. We don’t really consider the likes of our usual foods as imported—like bananas or even coffee. Importing human food ingredients might sound like a no-brainer: that’s what the FDA is for, after all. Yet in reality, it is not that simple.