In 2025 the US Food and Drug Administration placed dinnerware made from the leaf sheaths of the Areca catechu palm on Import Alert 23-15. Most suppliers respond to that by going quiet or by steering you to something else. We still ship areca palm leaf into the United States, and 15 areca shipments have cleared since the alert was issued.
This page explains what the alert actually says, what it does not say, how we handle a US entry, and what we will not promise you. Sugarcane bagasse sits outside the alert and we supply that too, so if you would rather move a programme across, that route is here as well. We manufacture areca and we source bagasse, so we will be straight with you about our own product range rather than sell around the problem.
What the FDA actually published
- FDA concluded that dinnerware made from Areca catechu palm leaf sheaths does not meet the criteria for Generally Recognized as Safe for food contact use.
- Because there is no authorization for that use, FDA treats it as an unsafe food additive under Section 409 of the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act.
- Districts may detain shipments without physical examination under Import Alert 23-15.
- FDA states that other plant based dinnerware, including bamboo, sugar cane and sorghum, is outside the scope of that research.
You can read the FDA notice yourself rather than take our summary of it: FDA alerts industry and consumers about palm leaf dinnerware.
The part importers get wrong
Two things are worth saying plainly, because both cost money if you get them wrong.
Pre-alert history is not evidence. Post-alert history is, and it is still not a guarantee. Detention without physical examination is a change in enforcement posture, so containers that cleared before the alert existed cleared under different conditions. A supplier telling you they shipped areca to the US for years without a problem is describing a period when the alert did not exist, and that tells you nothing. What is worth asking any supplier, including us, is how many consignments they have cleared since the alert. For us that number is 15. We will not turn it into a promise about your container, because the alert lets FDA detain any consignment without examining it, and our record does not bind their decision.
Being outside the scope of the alert is not an FDA approval. Sugarcane bagasse is not covered by Import Alert 23-15, and we will not dress that up as something more than it is. It means this particular alert does not apply. It does not mean FDA has cleared any specific product, ours included. Your own compliance review still applies, and you should still ask for documentation.
How we handle a US shipment of areca
Three things, and we will keep them to what we can actually evidence.
- We keep shipping it and it clears. More than 15 consignments have entered the United States since Import Alert 23-15 was issued. Ask us and we will talk you through what has moved and when.
- Documentation travels with the goods. Certificate of Origin raised per order through the chamber of commerce, SGS laboratory test report, phytosanitary certification where the destination requires it, and our Importer-Exporter Code and FIEO membership held in our own name. The full list, and which items are held by us against raised per order, is on our certification matrix.
- We tell you the risk before you buy, not after. An alert that permits detention without physical examination means FDA can hold a consignment at any time. No supplier can contract that away, and one who tells you otherwise is selling you something they do not control.
What we will not write, because it would not be true: that our areca is FDA compliant, approved or cleared, or that the alert does not apply to us. It applies to the material. We work with that openly, which is the whole reason this page exists.
What we supply that sits outside the alert
Some buyers would simply rather not carry the risk, and that is a reasonable call to make. Sugarcane bagasse is the fibrous material left after cane juice is pressed. It is heat pressed into sturdy, grease and water resistant foodservice items, and it is the closest direct replacement for palm leaf plates in a US foodservice or retail programme. It is not covered by Import Alert 23-15, which, as above, is not the same as an FDA approval.
- Hinged clamshells and takeaway boxes in 6×6″, 8×8″, 9×6″ and 9×9″, single, 2 and 3 compartment, 50 pieces per pack.
- Meal trays with and without lids, 3, 4, 5 and 8 compartment layouts, 25 or 50 pieces per pack.
- Compartment plates, bowls, snack trays, and round and square plates to complete a serving line.
See the full bagasse tableware range, the compostable takeout containers page, or what bagasse actually is if the material is new to you.
Our other lines that are not made from Areca catechu leaf: bamboo toothbrushes, birchwood cutlery, coconut shell bowls, bio cups and sal leaf tableware, which is made from Shorea robusta, a different tree entirely.
If you would rather move a programme to bagasse
| Step | What happens | Timing |
|---|---|---|
| Match the sizes | We map your current palm leaf SKUs to the nearest bagasse shapes and pack counts | At quote stage |
| Sample carton | You test the replacements with your own menu or customers before committing | Air freight, fastest route |
| 20ft container | Full run for a single market | 22 to 25 days production |
| 40ft container | Larger programme or several lines together | 28 to 30 days production |
The minimum order is set per product and shown on each product page, with piece minimums starting at 10,000 for palm leaf, bagasse and sal leaf as the working guide. We do not publish per unit prices, because the number depends on the mix, pack format, destination port and volume. Send the mix and we will quote it.
Documentation
Arbhu manufactures areca palm leaf tableware in its own units and sources its other lines from trusted suppliers in India. We run our own areca production in India and hold ISO 9001, SGS testing, an Importer Exporter Code, FIEO membership, Phytosanitary certification, Certificate of Origin and PQ documentation, and we are registered under Startup India. Food contact and compostability requirements differ by material and by destination market, so tell us that you are importing into the United States and we will confirm in writing exactly what we can supply for bagasse before you order. You can review what we hold on our certifications page.
We are not REX registered, so for origin proof we supply a chamber of commerce Certificate of Origin.
Questions US importers ask
Does Import Alert 23-15 cover sugarcane bagasse?
No. FDA states that bamboo, sugar cane and sorghum dinnerware are outside the scope of the research behind the alert. That is not an approval of any specific product, and your own compliance review still applies.
Do you still make areca palm leaf plates?
Yes. We manufacture areca palm leaf tableware in our own units and ship it worldwide, including into the United States, where 15 areca consignments have cleared since Import Alert 23-15 was issued. We will not tell you the alert is not a problem: FDA may detain a shipment without physical examination, and our record does not bind that decision.
Can bagasse handle hot and oily food?
Yes. It is grease and water resistant and is used for hot service in restaurants, cloud kitchens and meal prep programmes.
What is the minimum order?
Set per product and shown on each product page, with piece minimums starting at 10,000 for palm leaf, bagasse and sal leaf as the guide. Ask for a quote on your specific mix.
If I move to bagasse, how quickly can you replace a palm leaf programme?
A 20ft container takes 22 to 25 days to produce and a 40ft container 28 to 30 days, after sizes are matched and a sample carton is approved.
Start with a quote request listing your current palm leaf SKUs and volumes, and we will map them to bagasse equivalents.
