WARNING LETTER
The Great Smart African Food LLC
MARCS-CMS 721634 —
January 15, 2026
Delivery Method:
VIA EMAIL AND UNITED PARCEL SERVICE
Product:
Food & Beverages
Recipient:
Recipient Name
Mr. Paul Yehu Nahanda
Recipient Title
Owner
The Great Smart African Food LLC
10015 Lorain Ave
Cleveland
,
OH
44111-5430
United States
(b)(6), (b)(7)(C)
Issuing Office:
Division of Northern Border Imports
United States
January 15, 2026
WARNING LETTER
Re: CMS # 721634
Dear Mr. Nahanda:
On October 23, 2025, through December 16, 2025, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) conducted a Foreign Supplier Verification Program (FSVP) inspection of The Great Smart African Food LLC located at 10015 Lorain Ave, Cleveland, OH 44111-5430. This inspection was conducted to determine compliance with the requirements of section 805 of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FD&C Act) (21 U.S.C. 384a) and the implementing FSVP regulation in 21 CFR part 1, subpart L.
The FSVP regulation requires that importers perform certain risk-based activities to verify that human and/or animal food they import into the United States has been produced in a manner that meets applicable U.S. food safety standards. You may find information relating to the FSVP regulation and your responsibilities to comply with the regulation through links in FDA’s FSVP web page at https://www.fda.gov/food/food-safety-modernization-act-fsma/fsma-final-ruleforeign-supplier-verification-programs-fsvp-importers-food-humans-and-animals.
During the inspection, we found that you are not in compliance with the requirements of 21 CFR part 1, subpart L for the foods you import. Because of these significant violations, you are not in compliance with section 805 of the FD&C Act.
At the conclusion of the inspection, our investigator provided you with a Form FDA 483a FSVP Observations. Because of these significant violations, you are not in compliance with section 805 of the FD&C Act.
We have not received your response to the Form FDA 483a issued on 12/16/2025.
Your significant violations of the FSVP regulation are as follows:
You did not develop, maintain, and follow an FSVP as required by section 805 of the FD&C Act and 21 CFR 1.502(a). Specifically, you did not develop an FSVP for the foods you import from the foreign supplier(s) indicated in the attached lists, including each of the following foods:
Maize Flour, imported from
(b)(4)
, located in
(b)(4)
Peanut Butter Biscuits, imported from
(b)(4)
, located in
(b)(4)
Dried Milk, imported from
(b)(4)
, located in
(b)(4)
During our inspection, you provided the following documents: invoices, Bills of Lading, and Phytosanitary Certificates. You stated that you obtained these from your foreign supplier. However, it is not clear how these documents would apply to your FSVP program, and you did not explain how they would apply to your FSVP program.
The above violations are not intended to be an all-inclusive list of violations of the FSVP requirements. It is your responsibility to ensure that you are in compliance with section 805 of the FD&C Act and the implementing regulation in 21 CFR part 1, subpart L.
This letter notifies you of our concerns and provides you an opportunity to address them. If you do not adequately address this matter, we may take further action. For instance, we may take action under section 801(a)(3) of the FD&C Act (21 U.S.C. 381(a)(3)) to refuse admission of the food you import for which you appear to be in violation of section 805. We may place the foods from the identified foreign suppliers on detention without physical examination (DWPE) when you import the foods. You can find DWPE information relating to FSVP in Import Alert # 99-41 at http://www.accessdata.fda.gov/cms_ia/ialist.html. In addition, the importation or offering for importation into the United States of an article of food without the importer having an FSVP that meets the requirements of section 805 of the FD&C Act or the FSVP regulation is prohibited under section 301(zz) of the FD&C Act (21 U.S.C. 331(zz)).
You should respond in writing within fifteen (15) working days from your receipt of this letter. Your response should address the specific things you are doing to correct any violations. You should include in your response documentation and information that would assist us in evaluating your corrections (e.g., documentation of changes you made, such as a copy of your FSVP, records to demonstrate implementation of your FSVP), and any additional information that you wish to supply relevant to your compliance with the FSVP regulation. If you believe that you are not in violation of the FD&C Act, include your reasoning and any supporting information for our consideration. If you cannot complete all corrections within 15 working days, you should explain the reason for your delay and state when you will correct any remaining violations.
Please send your reply to Food and Drug Administration, Attention: Katharine Oaks, Compliance Officer, Division of Northern Border Imports via email at Katharine.Oaks@fda.hhs.gov. Please reference CMS # 721634 on any documents or records you provide to us and on the subject line of any email correspondence you send to us.
Sincerely,
/S/
Keith J. Jasukaitis
Program Division Director
Division of Northern Border
Imports
300 River Place, 5th Floor
Detroit MI 48207
Content current as of:
02/03/2026
Regulated Product(s)
Food & Beverages