Under the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA), the FDA published seven major rules which created new requirements that put more responsibility on manufacturers, including importers. The Foreign Supplier Verification Program (FSVP) Rule for importers of food for humans and animals requires importers to perform risk analysis and risk-based activities to ensure that food imported into the United States is produced to meet applicable U.S. safety standards.
The increased food importation trend has led the FDA to focus on globalization of food safety. Therefore, on February 25, the FDA released “Strategy for the Safety of Imported Food.” In this document, the FDA outlines the methods they are using to accomplish the following goals:
- Goal 1: Food Offered for Import Meets U.S. Food Safety Requirements
- Goal 2: FDA Border Surveillance Prevents Entry of Unsafe Foods
- Goal 3: Rapid and Effective Response to Unsafe Imported Food
- Goal 4: Effective and Efficient Food Import Program
With FSMA, the FDA gained new enforcement authority designed to achieve higher rates of compliance and important new tools that hold imported foods and food manufacturers to the same standards as domestic foods. From these standards and guidelines, Tentamus develops new FSVPs and reviews current programs for compliance.
Get in touch:
Vy Goddard
Regulatory Affairs Specialist, Tentamus North America
vy.goddard@tentamus.com