CHANGES IN
FOOD SAFETY IN THE USA

The new Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) in the USA brings about radical changes in the way these subjects are managed:

  1. The recent FSMA states that importers, as well as foreign suppliers, are liable for possible chemical, biological, or physical poisoning caused by foreign products.

2. Thus, the importers’ liability is not merely public, but also criminal, depending on the case.

3. The FSMA requests importers to implement a Foreign Supplier Verification Program (FSVP) to confirm that the imported fruit originates from Suppliers that meet the same production and packing requirements as those for US producers.

4. The FSMA has provided clearer authority and increased resources to improve FDA’s control. As a result, barriers for the entry of fruit from suppliers have increased.

5. Foreign supplier means a grower, not an exporter, so both the fields where each batch is grown and the packing and cold storage plants where the food transits are also involved. Accordingly, each one of them will need to have preventive plans against contamination or adulteration available.

6. The FDA has established the Voluntary Qualified Importer Program (VQIP) for importers with a solid and verifiable FSVP. The certification gives importers an expedited pass through borders.