Import compliance
shouldn't cost you
a shipment.
Pre-shipment food import compliance verification for importers, freight forwarders, and carriers — validating documentation against FDA FSMA, EUDR, FSMA 204, and EU 2017/625 before a container moves.
VeriPura helps food importers, freight forwarders, and carriers validate compliance documentation before a single container moves — preventing documentation-driven rejections, detentions, and the manual chaos in between.
Department of Agriculture
Bureau of Agricultural Commodity Inspection
SEAL
About VeriPura
VeriPura is a pre-shipment food import compliance verification service. It checks every import document — phytosanitary certificates, health certificates, certificates of origin, and regulatory declarations — against EU, US, and UK border requirements before a container departs. Food importers, freight forwarders, carriers, and customs brokers use it to prevent FDA detentions, EU border rejections, and documentation-driven shipment delays.
- Who it is for
- Food importers, freight forwarders, carriers, and customs brokers importing into Europe, the US, or the UK from high-risk sourcing corridors.
- What it does
- Validates import documentation against EU 2017/625, FDA FSMA, EUDR, FSMA 204, TRACES NT, and UK FRCR — before the shipment departs, using a 9-stage AI compliance workflow.
- Why before departure
- Documentation failures cause 39% of EU food import refusals (European Commission TRACES). An FDA detention costs up to $50,000 (FDA Import Program). The same error fixed before departure costs nothing but a corrected document.
The Risks
One wrong field.
One rejected food import shipment.
Border rejections and FDA detentions are preventable — when you catch documentation errors before the shipment moves, not at the border. The cost of catching them too late is measured in detained containers, regulatory fines, and lost buyer relationships.
Every sourcing corridor carries a different compliance risk profile. The wider the gap between your origin market's CPI score and your destination market's expectations, the greater your documentation exposure. These 18 corridors represent the highest concentration of European and US refusals — with additional corridors onboarded on request.
Most common documentation errors caught by VeriPura
- Authority signature mismatch
- Phytosanitary or health certificate signed by an authority not recognised by the destination market.
- FDA Prior Notice code error
- Incorrect or missing product description code causes automatic detention by FDA PREDICT.
- TRACES NT format rejection
- Common Entry Document format or missing field prevents TRACES NT acceptance before arrival.
- Expired certificate at arrival
- Certificate valid at issue date but expired by the time the shipment reaches the border inspection post.
- Establishment number mismatch
- Slaughter or processing establishment number does not match the destination market's approved list.
- Missing EUDR due diligence records
- No geolocation data or deforestation statement for EUDR-affected commodities — rejection at EU border.
How It Works
Nine stages.
One verified food import compliance check.
VeriPura validates the documents your suppliers send you against the requirements of your destination market — before a single container moves. Every import file passes through a structured 9-stage workflow, from document intake to blockchain-anchored compliance verdict.
Who It's For
Built for the people
moving food across borders.
EU & US Food Importer
Stop losing shipments to documentation errors you didn't know you had.
You're sourcing from high-risk corridors — Thailand, Brazil, Nigeria, China, India, Mexico and beyond — where compliance profiles are complex and documentation is multi-language. One wrong field on a health certificate means your container sits at the border while you watch your margin evaporate.
- Validate all import documents before departure, not at the border
- Automatic checks against European, US and UK import requirements — including EU 2017/625, FDA FSMA, and UK FRCR — with additional frameworks available on request
- Real-time risk scoring by sourcing corridor and product category
- Immutable compliance records for audits and buyer due diligence
We are deliberately selective to start. Founding participants help shape the product, complete the pilot at no cost, and receive preferential pricing when they convert — terms not available to later clients. What that looks like is a conversation.
Apply for an Importer Pilot Slot →Freight Forwarder
Compliance document validation for freight forwarders — across every active shipment, before any container moves.
As a forwarder, you're managing documentation for dozens of shipments simultaneously across multiple origins, product types, and regulatory regimes. A compliance failure isn't just your client's problem — it's your reputation, your renewal, and your next contract.
- Batch-process compliance checks across multiple active shipments
- Instant flag on expiry dates, missing signatures, authority mismatches
- Client-facing compliance reports generated automatically
- API integration with your existing TMS or document management system
Founding partners help shape the channel programme, complete the pilot at no cost, and receive preferential pricing when they convert — terms not available to later partners. What that looks like is a conversation.
Apply for a Forwarder Partner Slot →Carrier & Customs Broker
Reduce port delays and protect your throughput with pre-arrival compliance intelligence.
Port delays and customs holds cost you in ways that compound: demurrage, repositioning costs, schedule disruption, and client attrition. VeriPura flags compliance issues before the vessel departs — giving you time to fix problems before the shipment is ever at sea.
- Pre-arrival compliance scoring for all food cargo manifests
- Instant identification of shipments at risk of customs hold
- Immutable chain of custody for liability protection
- Structured remediation guidance — not just flags, but fixes
Founding partners help shape the channel programme, complete the pilot at no cost, and receive preferential pricing when they convert — terms not available to later partners. What that looks like is a conversation.
Apply for a Carrier Partner Slot →Technology
Food import compliance intelligence
anchored to blockchain.
VeriPura combines document AI, regulatory rule engines, and IOTA blockchain to create a compliance record that is fast, consistent, and tamperproof and independently verifiable.
Document AI Engine
Regulatory Rule Engine
IOTA Blockchain Ledger
Risk Corridor Intelligence
Verifiable Credentials
API & System Integration
Become a Partner
The food import compliance partner programme
built for freight forwarders and carriers.
Freight forwarders and carriers that add VeriPura compliance verification to their service offering give food importer clients a pre-shipment document validation check against FDA FSMA, EUDR, TRACES NT, and EU 2017/625 requirements — reducing customs holds and border rejections before the container moves. Every compliance failure your clients suffer is a cost you absorb. VeriPura turns that into a competitive advantage and a new revenue stream.
Revenue Share on Every Shipment
Protect Yourself from Client Liability
Extend Your Service Offering
EU entry in 2024 (European Commission TRACES)
documentation failures (European Commission TRACES)
FDA detention incident (FDA Import Program)
contamination source (industry traceability studies)
Ask Us Anything
Have a question about food import compliance?
Not sure if VeriPura fits? Ask Onno and Thomas directly. If the answer isn't in our system, they'll offer to speak with you personally.
The Team
Founded by operators
who've lived the problem.
VeriPura was built by entrepreneurs with direct experience in food processing, supply chain, and technology — not consultants who read about it.
Building for the long term — read our investment case at investors.veripura.com

Onno Stienen
CEO & Co-Founder

Thomas Oberlin
COO & Co-Founder
FAQ
Common questions about food import compliance verification.
Questions from food importers, freight forwarders, carriers, and customs brokers about how VeriPura works and where it fits.
What is VeriPura?
VeriPura is a pre-shipment food import compliance verification service. It validates import documentation — phytosanitary certificates, health certificates, certificates of origin, certificates of analysis, and regulatory declarations — against EU, US, and UK border requirements before a container departs, using a 9-stage AI compliance workflow.
How does VeriPura prevent FDA automatic detentions?
FDA automatic detentions are typically triggered by documentation errors — an incorrect product code in Prior Notice, a missing field, or an authority mismatch. VeriPura checks every relevant field against FDA FSMA requirements before the shipment departs and flags issues for correction. A detention can cost $30,000–$50,000; the same error fixed before departure costs a corrected document.
Which import documents does VeriPura check?
VeriPura verifies phytosanitary certificates, health certificates, certificates of origin, certificates of analysis, common entry documents (CEDs), FDA prior notice submissions, fumigation certificates, and other documentation required by the destination market's regulatory framework.
What regulatory frameworks does VeriPura cover?
VeriPura covers EU Regulation 2017/625, FDA FSMA, EUDR (EU Deforestation Regulation), FSMA 204 traceability requirements, TRACES NT, and UK FRCR. Additional frameworks are available on request.
How does VeriPura help freight forwarders?
Freight forwarders use VeriPura to batch-process compliance checks across multiple active shipments simultaneously. VeriPura flags expiry dates, missing signatures, and authority mismatches, and generates client-facing compliance reports automatically. Every check produces a blockchain-attested record — protecting forwarders from client disputes when shipments are rejected.
How do freight forwarders offer VeriPura compliance verification to their clients?
Freight forwarders join the VeriPura channel partner programme and offer pre-shipment document validation as a value-added service alongside their freight offering. When a client's shipment is ready to move, the forwarder submits the document bundle through VeriPura. VeriPura checks every document against the destination market's requirements — FDA FSMA, EUDR, TRACES NT, EU 2017/625, FSMA 204 — and returns a compliance verdict with any flagged issues before departure. The forwarder receives a blockchain-attested compliance record for every check performed, which can be provided to the importer client as part of the shipment dossier.
How does VeriPura help carriers and customs brokers reduce customs holds on food shipments?
Customs holds and port delays on food shipments are most commonly triggered by documentation errors that could have been caught before departure. VeriPura gives carriers and customs brokers a pre-arrival compliance check: document bundles are validated against the requirements of the destination port and regulatory regime before the vessel sails. Errors that would trigger an FDA detention, a TRACES NT rejection, or an EU border hold are identified and flagged while they are still fixable. VeriPura also produces a blockchain-attested audit trail for every check — giving customs brokers a documented record of compliance diligence if a shipment is later disputed.
What does the VeriPura channel partner programme offer freight forwarders and carriers?
The VeriPura channel partner programme gives freight forwarders and carriers three things: a pre-shipment compliance verification service they can offer food importer clients as a value-added product; a revenue share on every shipment verified through their channel; and a blockchain-attested compliance record for every check that materially reduces their liability exposure when clients face border disputes. Partner slots in the founding pilot are limited. Founding partners set the terms of the programme they want built — the corridors, document types, and integration with their existing systems that matter most.
How does VeriPura help with EUDR compliance for food imports?
The EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) requires importers to demonstrate that specific commodities — including beef, soy, cocoa, coffee, and palm oil — have not contributed to deforestation. VeriPura checks EUDR due diligence documentation as part of its pre-shipment workflow, flagging gaps before departure.
How does the VeriPura workflow produce a compliance verdict?
VeriPura processes every shipment through 9 stages: Intake (document upload), Mapping (HS code and corridor identification), Parse (AI field extraction), Trace (supply chain linkage), Comply (EU and FDA rule check), Shield (risk scoring), Auditor (audit trail generation), Verdict (pass, fail, or fix with remediation guidance), and Ledger (IOTA blockchain anchor).
Is VeriPura a replacement for a customs broker or compliance consultant?
No. VeriPura automates document validation and compliance checking against known regulatory requirements. It is used by importers, forwarders, carriers, and brokers — not as a replacement for professional customs or legal advice. It handles the systematic, repeatable part of compliance: checking that the right documents are present, correctly completed, and consistent with each other and with regulatory requirements.
What is TRACES NT and why do food importers use it?
TRACES NT (Trade Control and Expert System) is the European Commission's online platform for managing health and phytosanitary certificates for food imports entering the EU. Importers must submit Common Entry Documents (CEDs) via TRACES NT before shipments arrive at EU border inspection posts. Errors in document format, missing fields, or mismatches between the CED and the physical consignment are among the most common causes of EU food import refusals. VeriPura validates documentation against TRACES NT requirements before departure — so that CEDs are accepted on arrival rather than flagged for enhanced border checks.
What does FSMA 204 require from food importers, and how does VeriPura help?
FDA Food Safety Modernization Act Section 204 requires importers of designated high-risk foods to maintain and provide traceability records covering key data elements at each critical tracking event in the supply chain — from farm or processor through to the point of import. These records must be available to the FDA within 24 hours of a request. VeriPura validates that the required traceability documentation is present, correctly formatted, and consistent with the shipment before it departs — and anchors the records to the IOTA blockchain so they are immediately retrievable if FDA requests them.
Can VeriPura check the documents my supplier sends before I submit them to customs?
Yes. Supplier document validation is one of the primary use cases for VeriPura. Importers upload the document bundle received from their supplier — phytosanitary certificates, health certificates, certificates of origin, certificates of analysis — and VeriPura checks every field against the destination market's requirements before the importer submits to customs or the shipment departs. Errors that would trigger a border rejection or FDA detention are caught at the point when they are still fixable: before the container moves.
What are the most common food import documentation errors that cause border rejections?
The most common documentation errors in food import compliance include: authority signature mismatches on phytosanitary or health certificates; incorrect or missing product description codes in FDA Prior Notice submissions; Common Entry Document format errors that TRACES NT rejects; cold chain log formats not accepted by destination market authorities; establishment numbers that do not match approved lists; certificates that were valid at issue but expired by the time the shipment arrives; and missing EUDR due diligence records for affected commodities. VeriPura checks for all of these against the specific requirements of the destination market and trade corridor before the shipment departs.
Which food commodities are affected by the EU Deforestation Regulation and what documentation does it require?
The EUDR applies to cattle, cocoa, coffee, palm oil, soy, wood, and derived products — including beef, chocolate products, coffee blends, palm oil derivatives, and soy-based ingredients commonly traded in food import shipments. Importers must provide due diligence statements demonstrating that the commodities were produced on land not subject to deforestation after December 2020, with supporting geolocation data and supply chain documentation. VeriPura checks that the required EUDR due diligence documentation is present and complete before departure, flagging gaps that would cause rejection at EU borders.
Live Intelligence Tools
See what VeriPura sees —
right now.
Most compliance platforms ask you to trust a demo. VeriPura gives you the tools. Two live applets, no login, no sales call required. Upload your own label. Run your own recipe. See exactly how the AI compliance engine thinks — then decide if you want it working across every shipment.
VeriPura Label
AI-powered food label compliance checker. Upload any food label and instantly validate it against legal requirements for your target market — ingredients, allergen declarations, nutritional claims, and mandatory regulatory fields.
- Validates ingredients lists and allergen declarations
- Checks nutritional claims against EU/US regulations
- Flags missing mandatory fields by target market
- Prevents costly recalls from labelling errors
VeriPura Nutritional
Automated nutritional analysis and verification. Calculate and verify nutritional facts for complex recipes and formulations — replacing slow manual paperwork with instant, accurate nutritional profiles linked to laboratory data.
- Calculates nutritional profiles for recipes and formulations
- Integrates with lab systems and nutritional databases
- Verifies declared values against calculated actuals
- Outputs market-ready nutritional declarations
More Coming Soon
We are continuously building new applets targeting the highest-friction points in food import compliance. Modules in development include full shipment document validation, certification lifecycle management, and sustainability due diligence reporting.
- Shipment document bundle validator
- Certification expiry and renewal tracker
- EUDR deforestation due diligence module
- TRACES NT pre-notification builder
Get Started
The most important thing
we import is trust.
If you're moving food from high-risk sourcing corridors and managing TRACES NT notifications, FDA Prior Notice submissions, EUDR due diligence documentation, or FSMA 204 traceability records — this pilot is for you. We are deliberately selective — slots are limited. Tell us what your current compliance process looks like. We'll show you exactly what VeriPura catches — and whether you qualify.
Apply for a Pilot Slot
Join the founding
pilot programme.
We are deliberately selective. Founding participants work directly with Onno and Thomas — not an onboarding team — to run a live pilot against their real shipments.