Cheeses (other than hard cheeses)
Soft, semi-soft, and fresh cheeses including soft unripened/fresh soft, soft ripened/semi-soft, and cheese made from unpasteurized milk. Excludes hard cheeses.
Includes: Brie, Camembert, Cottage cheese, Cream cheese, Feta, Mozzarella (fresh), Ricotta, Mascarpone, Chevre, Queso fresco, Paneer, Blue cheese, Havarti, Muenster, Taleggio, Fontina
Excludes: Hard cheeses (e.g., Parmesan, Cheddar, Swiss, Gouda), Shelf-stable processed cheese products, Frozen cheese products
Shell Eggs
Shell eggs from domesticated chickens, in or out of the shell (liquid eggs).
Includes: Shell eggs (chicken), Liquid eggs
Excludes: Eggs from other poultry (duck, quail, goose), Balut and other specialty eggs, Shelf-stable dried egg products
Nut Butters
Tree nut and peanut butters. Includes shelf-stable, refrigerated, frozen, and previously frozen products.
Includes: Peanut butter, Almond butter, Cashew butter, Walnut butter, Hazelnut butter, Pistachio butter, Pecan butter, Macadamia nut butter, Mixed nut butter
Excludes: Soy nut butter (not a tree nut or peanut), Seed butters (sunflower, tahini, pumpkin seed), Nutella and similar chocolate-nut spreads (classified differently)
Fresh Cucumbers
Fresh cucumbers, whole or cut.
Includes: Cucumbers
Excludes: Pickled cucumbers (pickles), Frozen cucumber products
Fresh Herbs
Fresh herbs (not dried or frozen). Includes cilantro, basil, parsley, and other common culinary herbs.
Includes: Basil, Cilantro, Parsley, Mint, Dill, Chives, Tarragon, Oregano (fresh), Thyme (fresh), Rosemary (fresh), Sage (fresh)
Excludes: Dried herbs and spices, Frozen herbs, Herb-infused oils or products
Leafy Greens
Fresh leafy greens including lettuce, spinach, kale, and other salad greens.
Includes: Lettuce (all varieties), Spinach, Kale, Arugula, Chard, Collard greens, Mustard greens, Endive, Watercress, Spring mix / Mesclun, Turnip greens, Beet greens, Bok choy
Excludes: Whole head cabbage (including napa), Microgreens
Melons
Fresh whole and cut melons.
Includes: Cantaloupe, Honeydew, Watermelon, Other melons
Excludes: Frozen melon products
Peppers
Fresh peppers, including sweet and hot varieties.
Includes: Bell peppers, Hot peppers
Excludes: Dried peppers, Frozen peppers, Pickled peppers, Pepper flakes and powder
Sprouts
Fresh sprouts of all varieties, including alfalfa, bean, and other seeds.
Includes: Alfalfa sprouts, Bean sprouts, Broccoli sprouts, Clover sprouts, Radish sprouts, Sunflower sprouts, Mixed sprouts
Excludes: Microgreens that are harvested (not sprouted)
Tomatoes
Fresh tomatoes of all varieties.
Includes: Tomatoes (all varieties)
Excludes: Canned tomatoes, Tomato sauce/paste/puree, Sun-dried tomatoes, Frozen tomato products
Tropical Tree Fruits
Fresh tropical tree fruits including mangoes, papayas, and mamey.
Includes: Mango, Papaya, Mamey sapote, Guava, Starfruit, Lychee, Jackfruit (fresh)
Excludes: Bananas (explicitly excluded — thick protective peel), Pineapple (explicitly excluded), Citrus fruits (oranges, lemons, limes, grapefruit), Coconut, Passion fruit (explicitly excluded), Dates, figs, pomegranate, sapodilla, Frozen tropical fruit products, Dried tropical fruits
Fresh-Cut Fruits
Fruits that have been fresh-cut (peeled, sliced, chopped, or shredded) and packaged for sale without further processing.
Includes: Fresh-cut fruits (all types)
Excludes: Frozen cut fruit, Canned fruit, Dried fruit, Fruit juice
Fresh-Cut Vegetables
Vegetables (including leafy greens) that have been fresh-cut and packaged for sale without further processing.
Includes: Fresh-cut leafy greens, Fresh-cut vegetables (non-leafy)
Excludes: Frozen cut vegetables, Canned vegetables, Dehydrated vegetables
Finfish
Fresh and frozen finfish species, categorized by food safety hazard type. Includes three subcategories based on associated hazards.
Includes: Tuna (histamine-producing), Mahi-mahi (histamine-producing), Mackerel (histamine-producing), Bluefish (histamine-producing), Amberjack (histamine-producing), Barracuda (ciguatoxin species), Grouper (ciguatoxin species), Snapper (ciguatoxin species), Salmon, Cod, Tilapia, Carp, Trout, Halibut, Swordfish, Bass, Pollock, Haddock, Flounder, Perch
Excludes: Catfish and all Siluriformes (regulated by USDA FSIS, not FDA), Canned or shelf-stable finfish (e.g., canned tuna), Fully cooked, shelf-stable fish products
Smoked Finfish
Cold-smoked and hot-smoked finfish. Includes refrigerated, frozen, and previously frozen products.
Includes: Smoked salmon, Smoked trout, Smoked whitefish, Smoked mackerel, Smoked sablefish, Other smoked finfish
Excludes: Shelf-stable smoked fish products (e.g., canned smoked oysters)
Crustaceans
Fresh, frozen, and previously frozen crustacean shellfish, including shrimp, crab, lobster, and crayfish.
Includes: Shrimp, Crab, Lobster, Crayfish, Langoustine
Excludes: Canned crab/shrimp (shelf-stable), Fully cooked shelf-stable products
Molluscan Shellfish (Bivalves)
Bivalve mollusks including oysters, clams, and mussels. Subject to additional shellfish sanitation requirements.
Includes: Oysters, Clams, Mussels
Excludes: Scallop adductor muscle only — what's sold as 'scallops' is NOT on the FTL, Canned or shelf-stable shellfish, Cephalopods (squid, octopus) — not bivalves
Ready-to-Eat Deli Salads
Refrigerated ready-to-eat deli salads, including egg salad, potato salad, pasta salad, and seafood salads.
Includes: Egg salad, Potato salad, Pasta salad, Seafood salad
Excludes: Meat-based salads (chicken salad, ham salad, turkey salad), Shelf-stable salads, Frozen prepared salads, Green/garden salads (covered under leafy greens or fresh-cut)