Bio-Terrorism Act

Prior Notification No Longer Necessary for Individuals Who Wish to Mail Chocolates

New Exemptions to the Food and Drug Administration's Bio-Terrorism Act

As of October 2004, the Food & Drug Administration's Bio-Terrorism Act of 2002 was updated, making it easier for private individuals to mail some items to the United States. Prior notification is no longer necessary for certain goods, including chocolate that is sent as a gift from one individual to another. Other exempted items include, but are not limited to:

Homemade foods shipped as a gift
Purchased food (such as chocolate) sent as a gift from an individual to an individual
Personal use food accompanying a traveler
Food contained in household goods

Please note that there is a Swiss Government weight limit of two kilograms on personal items sent via the postal system. Additionally, when a company mails food items on your behalf, prior notification is necessary, as it becomes a commercial transaction.

For non-exempted products, you are still required to obtain a prior notice registration number before mailing the product to the United States. There is no fee for registration. To register your food products or for further information about the Food & Drug Administration's Bio-Terrorism Act of 2002, please go http://www.access.fda.gov.

For more information, please see the following documents: For more information, please see the following documents: