I had a some snacks,candies,and instant rice/noodle with chicken and pork flavor. The inspector read the label on the instant rice and said it contains diced chicken which I didn't know since they are dozen small packs of them sealed in the bigger package and since I didn't declare them. I was fined for that.
Here's a question for the OP: if you knew that food was a potentially-restricted thing to bring into the USA, why didn't you declare what you brought in? It says very clearly on the written declaration form that you must check "Yes" or "No" to any form of "food."
If you had declared the instant noodles and other food, then you would not have been fined. The officers simply would have confiscated the prohibited items. But you were fined because you did not declare and then they caught you attempting to bring prohibited items into the country.
So, I suppose I'm not sure if this was an honest mistake on the OP's part, since it couldn't be any more clear on the form that you must declare food.
If the OP read this line on the declaration form and marked "No" anyway, even though he/she was carrying food, then it was outright deception and I have no sympathy.