FDA’s Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) introduced extensive new food safety regulations for both food facilities and U.S. importers of food products. While still subject to FSMA, food facilities in recognized countries and domestic importers of food manufactured in recognized countries benefit from modified requirements. As more faith is granted to the Food Safety Systems of recognized countries, these parties may see less FDA intervention as a result.
Under FSMA, food facilities that manufacture, process, pack, or hold food for U.S. consumption are required by FDA to have written food safety plans. One component of this plan is a supply-chain program that mandates facilities to conduct verification activities on their suppliers, such as onsite audits. As opposed to conducting these audits themselves, facilities with suppliers in recognized countries are able to verify suppliers through an inspection conducted by that country’s food safety authority within one year of the required audit date, potentially saving resources on travel and personal expenses.
FSMA also requires U.S. importers to create a Foreign Supplier Verification Program (FSVP) for each of their foreign suppliers, involving hazard analysis, risk evaluation, supplier verification, and corrective action. Systems recognition allows importers to forgo certain aspects of the FSVP rule, such as hazard analysis and verification, as long as they continue to monitor and find that each supplier is compliant with its country’s Food Safety System. As a result, importers are able to save time and effort as well as travel expenses when importing food from recognized countries. This may provide facilities in recognized countries an advantage over competition, as US importers may be more apt to import from facilities that require less work under FSVP.