What am I supposed to prepare when sending food products to the recipient even though they are just passing through the U.S.?

In the U.S., the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and U.S. Customs have taken the lead in improving food import safety, imposing certain restrictions on food imports into the U.S. and similar restrictions on food shipments through the U.S.

All food products destined for corporate customers in the U.S., Canada, Latin America and Europe, regardless of their intended use, are required to obtain a Prior Notice Confirmation Number (PNC#) from the FDA prior to shipment. Exceptions exist for shipments of gifts or food for personal consumption from individuals below a certain value, but the purpose of a shipment, product name, manufacturer's company name and address must be declared. 

Step 1
Please check to see if the food items you are shipping can be handled by FedEx.

The following foods are not handled by FedEx.

• Fresh foods or perishable foods (including foods that need to be refrigerated or frozen)
• Alcohol for which both the exporter and importer lack a license to handle alcoholic beverages.
• Foods that are regulated in the destination country

Step 2

Please prepare a printout of the screen used to obtain a PNC# from the FDA.

Step 3

Please prepare the following required documents.

• Air waybill
  
• Commercial invoice
• Printout of the screen used to obtain the PNC#

Items to be included in the air waybill and commercial invoice
Please fill in the following information in the item name field of the air waybill and commercial invoice.

1. FS/T&E
2. Name of food product
3. PNC# (12 digits)
4. Manufacturer's name
5. Manufacturer's name and address

[Example: If you are shipping rice crackers manufactured by ABC Confectionery]
FS/T&E/Rice Cracker/012345678901

Manufacturer: ABC Seika Co., Ltd. (X-X-X Ginza, Chuo-ku, Tokyo, Japan) 

Step 4
Prepare the package for shipping.

Notes

• Please note that customs inspections may take longer than usual to clear imports, which may cause delays in delivery.
• The above information is subject to change without notice by the FDA.
• To obtain an FDA pre-certification number, please obtain an FDA account ID and password from the FDA website, complete the pre-certification number application process by referring to the guidance below and attach a printout of the screenshot used to obtain the PNC#. When you obtain a PNC# from the FDA, you will need the Facility Registration number of the food manufacturer at the time of registration.
• Please contact the food manufacturer directly to obtain the registration number. If the registration number is unknown, you will not be able to obtain a PCN#, and therefore will not be able to send your application.

External website
FDA website

Related Questions
How to obtain a PNC#
Shipping food products to the U.S.
Air waybill
Commercial invoice