Indonesian Vegetables: FDA Prior Notice Filing 2025 Guide

A field-tested, step-by-step PNSI walkthrough for filing FDA Prior Notice on fresh Indonesian vegetables shipped by air. Timing rules, exact data elements, handling multiple SKUs, grower unknown, AWB and delays, plus practical examples you can copy.

If you ship Indonesian vegetables by air to the U.S., Prior Notice (PN) is either a quick, boring step or a shipment-stopping headache. After filing hundreds of PNs, we’ve found it’s rarely the FDA “gotchas.” It’s timing, product codes, and small data mismatches. Here’s a focused, field-by-field guide you can use today for air cargo in 2025.

What’s new for 2025 (and what isn’t)

There’s no change to the 4-hour rule for air cargo and PNSI remains the most straightforward DIY tool. Brokers can file through ACE, but this walkthrough assumes you’ll use PNSI. The biggest shift we’re seeing is tighter scrutiny on quantity/packaging and realistic arrival times. If your PN says 12 cartons and your AWB says 11, expect questions.

When do I submit FDA Prior Notice for Indonesian vegetables shipped by air?

You must submit at least 4 hours before the aircraft arrives at the first U.S. airport. You can file up to 15 days before arrival. We aim to file as soon as the flight is confirmed and always buffer the arrival time by 6–8 hours in case of early landings. If the flight changes after submission, you can amend before arrival. More on that below.

Practical takeaway: Don’t cut it close. File once the booking is firm. Amend if needed.

The data you need before opening PNSI

Here are the minimum data elements we keep on a single page for every air shipment of fresh produce:

Submitter and transmitter details. Usually the same person filing.
Importer or ultimate consignee in the U.S.
Shipper/exporter name and address in Indonesia.
Manufacturer/grower. Use “Grower unknown” if you truly don’t know which farm lot will load.
Country of production and country from which shipped. Often both Indonesia, but not always.
Port of arrival. Example: Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), Chicago O’Hare (ORD), JFK.
Estimated date/time of arrival. Local time at the first U.S. port.
Carrier and flight details. Airline name is enough, but flight number helps.
Air waybill (AWB) number. Helpful, not strictly required to submit. We include it when available.
FDA product code for each distinct vegetable.
Common/market name. E.g., Japanese cucumber, baby romaine, tomatoes.
Packaging and quantity. Cartons, net weight in kg or lb, and number of packages.
Lot/batch. If not applicable, leave blank.

Tip we learned the hard way: Decide your unit system and stick to it. If the AWB is in kg, don’t enter pounds in PN; misaligned units trigger holds more than you’d think.

Field-by-field PNSI walkthrough for air cargo

This is the flow we use in the Prior Notice System Interface (PNSI) for Indonesian fresh produce.

Start a new Prior Notice. Identify yourself as the submitter/transmitter. Save the draft early.
Shipment information.

Choose “Air” as the mode.
Carrier: enter the airline name. Flight number helps but isn’t mandatory.
Port of arrival: select the first U.S. airport where the aircraft lands.
Arrival date/time: use local time at the U.S. airport. Add a buffer; PNSI cares about the 4-hour rule.
AWB number: enter if known. If not, leave it blank and amend later.

Parties.

Shipper/Exporter: your Indonesian entity details.
Importer or Ultimate Consignee: the U.S. buyer or receiver. If your broker handles ACE, use the buyer’s details here.
Manufacturer/Grower: if you consolidate from multiple partner farms, check “Grower unknown.” Farms don’t need FDA registration to appear here, and you won’t get blocked for using the unknown option for produce.

Article(s) of food. Create one line per distinct vegetable.

Product code: use the FDA Product Code Builder. For fresh, raw agricultural commodities, you’ll typically navigate: Industry = Vegetables, Class = Raw Agricultural Commodity, then pick the specific commodity like cucumber, lettuce, tomato, chili pepper, carrot. For example shipments, we’ve used codes for Japanese Cucumber (Kyuri), Baby Romaine, Tomatoes, Red Cayenne Pepper, and Carrots. Always verify in the code builder.
Common/Product name: keep it practical. “Japanese cucumber (Kyuri)” or “Baby romaine lettuce hearts.”
Intended use: human consumption.
Country of production: Indonesia if grown in Indonesia.
Quantity and packaging: e.g., 24 cartons x 10 kg, total 240 kg, chilled. PNSI will ask for both count and unit.
Lot/batch: optional for whole fresh produce. If you have a pack date or farm lot, add it for traceability.

Review and submit. PNSI will generate a PN Confirmation Number for each line item. Print or save the PDF and send it to your broker, airline, and consignee.

Do I need an airway bill (AWB) number to submit Prior Notice, or can I file with a booking?

You can file without the AWB if the flight and arrival details are firm. We often submit with just the flight details to secure the time window, then amend to add the AWB when issued. If anything substantive changes, amend before arrival.

Can I file Prior Notice if the Indonesian grower is unknown or not FDA-registered?

Yes. For fresh vegetables, you can select “Grower unknown.” Farms don’t need FDA food facility registration. If your entry broker needs farm details for other compliance programs, they’ll coordinate separately. For PN, “unknown” is accepted and common for consolidated harvest days.

How do I enter multiple vegetables under one air shipment Prior Notice in PNSI?

In PNSI, add multiple “articles of food” under the same PN submission. Each SKU gets its own product code and quantity. For example, a single AWB can have three PN line items: Japanese cucumbers, baby romaine, and tomatoes. The system will issue a PN Confirmation Number for each item.

Sample entry: Jakarta (CGK) to LAX air shipment

Mode: Air
Carrier: Garuda Indonesia or other airline operating your route
Port of arrival: Los Angeles International Airport (LAX)
Arrival: 2025-05-16 14:30 local
AWB: 126-12345678
Country of production: Indonesia
Country from which shipped: Indonesia
Article 1: Japanese cucumber (Kyuri). 24 cartons x 10 kg. Total 240 kg.
Article 2: Baby romaine lettuce hearts. 20 cartons x 8 kg. Total 160 kg.
Article 3: Tomatoes, vine-ripened. 15 cartons x 12 kg. Total 180 kg.

We pull common names directly from our product specs so labels and PN match: Japanese Cucumber (Kyuri), Baby Romaine, and Tomatoes. Matching descriptions reduce holds.

How do I pick the correct FDA product code for Asian leafy greens like bok choy or choy sum?

Here’s the approach that saves us time:

Use FDA’s Product Code Builder search with “bok choy,” “pak choi,” or “Chinese cabbage.” These map to Brassica categories under leafy greens. Don’t pick “lettuce” for brassicas and don’t pick “processed” classes for whole fresh heads.
For romaine and other lettuces, choose the lettuce pathway, not cabbage. For chiles like cayenne, use the pepper category, not “spices.”
If you’re unsure, search the scientific name. Accuracy here prevents avoidable reviews.

Practical tip: keep a private cheat sheet of the exact codes you’ve already validated for your recurring SKUs. We maintain a simple, versioned spreadsheet.

What should I do if the flight is delayed or changes after submitting Prior Notice?

Amend the PN in PNSI before arrival to update the arrival time, carrier, port, or AWB. If a delay pushes the arrival outside your 15-day window, submit a new PN and cancel the old one. If the aircraft lands earlier than planned and you filed too close to arrival, the 4-hour rule can be breached. In that case, refile with a compliant arrival time and notify your broker immediately.

Our rule of thumb: if anything material changes after submission, amend the PN as soon as you know. Don’t wait for the airline’s status page to catch up.

Common mistakes that trigger holds (and easy fixes)

Using a single PN line for a mixed shipment. Instead, add one PN line per vegetable SKU.
Wrong time zone. Enter arrival time in the local time of the U.S. port, not Jakarta time.
Quantity/pack mismatch. Align PN with the commercial invoice and AWB. Cartons, net weight, and unit must agree.
Country confusion. “Country of production” is where it was grown. “Country from which shipped” is where the flight departed. They can be different.
Product code drift. Picking a processed or canned category for fresh produce. Always use raw agricultural commodity for whole fresh vegetables.
No buffer. Filing exactly 4 hours before arrival leaves no room for early landings.

Quick checklist you can reuse

Flight confirmed, arrival port known, time buffered 6–8 hours.
Importer/consignee set and reachable.
Shipper and, if known, grower details ready. If not, “Grower unknown.”
Product codes validated from prior shipments or the code builder.
Packaging and quantities match AWB and invoice.
AWB added if available. If not, plan to amend.
PN confirmation numbers saved and shared with broker/airline.

Where we can help (if you want a second set of eyes)

We ship fresh Indonesian produce by air weekly and build PN-ready specs for recurring lines like Japanese Cucumber (Kyuri), Baby Romaine, and Tomatoes. If you want us to sanity-check a PNSI draft or map product codes for a mixed load, need help with your specific situation? Contact us on whatsapp.

The reality is that Prior Notice for fresh Indonesian vegetables is straightforward when your data is clean, your codes are correct, and you give yourself time. Do those three things and most PN issues disappear before they start.