Importers to be required to certify the safety of foodstuffs entering the United States

San Jose, Costa Rica, November 15, 2013 (IICA). Due to new standards being introduced by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), US importers will have to ensure that their overseas suppliers meet US food safety requirements.

Under the regulations, which are still subject to a period for comments, importers will have to guarantee that any potential food safety risks are subject to adequate controls, explained Lisa López, a specialist with the FDA Latin America Office.

López was the principal speaker of a video conference organized by the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA) at its Headquarters in Costa Rica and webcast to the countries of Latin America and the Caribbean.

The proposal, known as the Foreign Supplier Verification Program (FSVP), includes requirements for importers, such as the need to conduct hazard analyses (microbiological risks in fresh fruits and vegetables are excluded), keep a list of suppliers and identify them at the point of entry, and maintain the necessary records.

The verification requirements will vary depending on the type of food, the size of the importer and the nature of the potential risks. López informed the participants that the activities to certify the control of sanitary risks could include onsite inspections, samplings as well as examination and evaluation of food safety records.

Some products will be exempt from these rules because their entry into the US is already regulated. For instance, juices, fish or shellfish already subject to HACCP control, alcoholic beverages and food for personal use or in transit for re-export or declared to be for research and evaluation.

López also presented the principal points of another regulation that the FDA intends to introduce, called Accreditation of Third-party Auditors. In this case, the US agency would recognize certifying bodies, which in turn would authorize third parties to certify exporters’ facilities and the safety of foodstuffs sent to the US.

Both the accreditation bodies and the certifiers could be government agencies or private organizations, the FDA specialist pointed out.

Comments on the FSVP and the Accreditation of Third-party Auditors must be submitted by November 26, 2013 at the latest, via the regulations.gov Web page.

Both sets of regulations fall under the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) passed in 2011.

For further information: 
ana.cordero@iica.int
The FDA’s Latin America Office: us-fda-lao@fda.hhs.gov