Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture

Agricultural Health

Virtual meeting addresses questions regarding the rule on Accredited Third-Party Certification

Tiempo de lectura: 3 mins.

Within the framework of the U.S. Food Safety Modernization Act: a joint effort between IICA and the FDA allowed importers and food exporters to the United States to gain greater clarity on this rule.

 

Compliance with the rule is not mandatory; that is, exporters are not required to obtain certifications. 

San José, 10 June 2016 (IICA). The Rule on Accredited Third-Party Certification is one of the six new rules that have been incorporated into the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) of the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

The Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA) and the FDA held a virtual meeting to explain the details, requirements, and scope of this new rule. There were a total of 378 connection points to the virtual session, all from Latin American and Caribbean countries.

Robert Ahern, Leader of the Agricultural Health and Food Safety Program at IICA, stated that the high level of participation spoke to the importance of these topics to the countries, and added his wish for the forum to aid in minimizing the impact on businesses and contribute to their continuous operation without any setbacks.

“There are many questions surrounding this topic, and forums provide the best opportunity to obtain reliable answers and broaden knowledge on the topic,” stated Ahern.

The Final Rule on Accredited Third-Party Certification establishes a voluntary program for the recognition of accreditation bodies which, in turn, authorize certification bodies to conduct food safety audits and issue certifications of foreign facilities and the foods for humans and animals that they produce.

Contrary to what some participants believed, compliance with the rule is not mandatory; that is, exporters are not required to obtain certifications, unless either of the following cases applies:

  • If an exporter wishes to establish eligibility for participation in the Voluntary Qualified Importer Program (VQIP), which offers expedited review and entry of food.
  • If the FDA deems that food offered for import is potentially harmful, in which case a certification could be required for admissibility.

In the second case, a specific determination must be issued by the FDA. The ability of a country’s regulatory system to guarantee compliance with safety rules is one of the factors that are taken into account. For instance, the FDA considers any natural disasters that may weaken the country’s safety system.

Speaker Allan González of the FDA Regional Office for Latin America emphasized the fact that the rule does not apply to alcoholic beverages or meat, poultry and egg products, since these products are regulated by the United States Department of Agriculture. The rule applies solely to food regulated by the FDA.

More information: ana.cordero@iica.int

 

Presentation on the rule

 

Share

Related news​

Brasilia, Brasil

October 17, 2025

Macarena Valdés and Marco Aceituno, small-scale Chilean producers who have thrived under challenging conditions, will take part in the Conference of Ministers of Agriculture of the Americas in Brasília

Macarena Valdés and Marco Aceituno, creators of a farm where food production has flourished despite the severe drought that has afflicted Chile in recent years, will be among the speakers at the Conference of Ministers of Agriculture of the Americas 2025, to be held from November 3 to 5 in Brasília.

Tiempo de lectura: 3mins

El Director General del IICA, Manuel Otero, destacó que la decisión del Banco Mundial de duplicar sus inversiones en el sector agropecuario refuerza la importancia de los pequeños agricultores y reconoce el papel de América Latina y el Caribe en la seguridad alimentaria global.

San Jose, Costa Rica

October 16, 2025

IICA Director General  welcomes World Bank’s decision to double its investments to strengthen the role of small-scale farmers and expresses willingness to work together in Latin America and the Caribbean

Otero stated that IICA stands ready to assist the World Bank in helping small-scale farmers to increase their productivity, scale up and connect to value chains that can increase their income. To that end, IICA will tap into its broad experience in the region, where it works together with various strategic partners from the public and private sectors.

Tiempo de lectura: 3mins

San José, Costa Rica

October 15, 2025

Hemispheric dialogue at IICA identifies effective governance, strategic public spending and innovative green funding as key elements to strengthen regional agrifood systems

During a hemispheric dialogue held at the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA), government leaders, representatives of international agencies and regional agrifood sector experts agreed on roadmaps for strengthening institutional frameworks and coordinating public policies in Latin American and Caribbean countries.

Tiempo de lectura: 3mins