The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently posted a document on its website that lists all importers that have been identified at entry in connection with the Foreign Supplier Verification Programs (FSVP) regulation. As discussed in the link below, this posting is a statutory requirement under the FDA Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA). The list simply provides all of the FSVP importer names that have been declared at entry, which means that some companies are listed multiple times with slight variations in their name. We expect the list is too general to help most companies determine whether there are any entries for which they have been declared as the FSVP importer without permission. However, the list could be helpful to companies that have never knowingly been declared as an FSVP importer so they can become aware they were declared and therefore may be subject to an FSVP inspection.
Imports
New U.S. food manufacturing, labeling, and inspection requirements – What you need to know to export foods to the U.S.
By Food Law Blog, Maile Hermida & Elizabeth Fawell on
Join us in London for a food seminar, “New U.S. food manufacturing, labeling, and inspection requirements – What you need to know to export foods ”
On 19 April, Hogan Lovells will offer a seminar on recent developments in U.S. food law that affect all food companies exporting food to the U.S.
U.S. partners Maile Hermida and Elizabeth Fawell will be visiting London from Washington, DC to discuss the latest U.S. food law developments that affect foreign companies that sell food in the U.S. This session will address recent changes for food safety, nutrition labeling, import filings, and facility inspections, addressing what these developments mean for exporters and how they are affected by the political climate in the United States. Both Maile and Elizabeth have extensive experience helping companies navigate these new requirements and developing effective business solutions for managing compliance.
Topics for this two hour seminar include:
— New U.S. Food Safety Requirements (FSMA)
— New Nutrition Labeling Rules
— Impacts from and Forecast for Trump Administration
— Inspections and Enforcement
FDA Begins Accepting VQIP Applications and Recognizes First Accreditation Body under FSMA’s Accredited Third-Party Certification Program
By Joe Levitt, Maile Hermida, Elizabeth Fawell & Leigh Barcham on
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has taken two important steps to launch the Voluntary Qualified Importer Program (VQIP) under the FDA Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA). First, FDA has started accepting applications for participation in VQIP, a voluntary, fee-based program which offers expedited review and entry of human and animal food into the United States. Second, FDA has recognized the first accreditation body under the voluntary Accredited Third-Party Certification Program created by FSMA, a step needed to implement VQIP. This post discusses both developments.
FDA Issues Draft Guidance on Refusal of Inspection by Foreign Food Establishments
By Joe Levitt, Maile Hermida, Elizabeth Fawell & Leigh Barcham on
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently issued Draft Guidance on its interpretation of what constitutes a refusal of inspection by a foreign food establishment or foreign government. Though the target audience is foreign food establishments and foreign governments, the Draft Guidance provides insight into FDA’s perspective on the legal obligations that apply to all food facility inspections. In particular, FDA describes refusal to permit photography during an inspection as a refusal of inspection. We provide an overview of the Draft Guidance, including the various actions FDA considers to constitute a refusal of inspection and the repercussions when foreign food establishments or foreign governments refuse inspection. FDA requests that comments on the Draft Guidance be submitted by February 26, 2018.
FSMA Update: FDA Begins FSVP Inspections
By Joe Levitt, Maile Hermida & Elizabeth Fawell on
FDA has started conducting inspections to assess compliance with its Foreign Supplier Verification Programs (FSVP) regulation. The initial FSVP compliance date was May 30, 2017, though FSVP importers may have later compliance dates for their various suppliers that are smaller sized businesses. Inspections started earlier this summer. In this post we provide a brief overview of how these inspections are progressing based on the inspections we have learned about.
FSMA Implementation Update
By Joe Levitt, Elizabeth Fawell & Maile Hermida on
There have been several recent developments regarding implementation of the FDA Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) of interest to the food industry. In this post, we summarize the following topics:
- Delayed start date for inspections for compliance with the preventive controls requirements under the Preventive Controls for Animal Food (PCAF) rule and under the Foreign Supplier Verification Programs (FSVP) rule for animal food importers;
- Guidance for low-acid canned food (LACF), seafood, and juice manufacturers regarding compliance and exemptions under FSMA;
- Updated domestic and foreign reinspection fee rates for fiscal year (FY) 2018;
- Release of new Food Safety Plan Builder software to assist with development of food safety plans; and,
- Clarification regarding the definition of “retail food establishment” for purposes of the waiver from requirements under the Sanitary Transportation of Human and Animal Food rule.
Click here to read our update.
Action Required: FSVP Implementation Triggers New Data Entry Requirements for All Imported FDA-Regulated Foods on May 30, 2017
By Joe Levitt, Maile Hermida & Elizabeth Fawell on
There will be significant changes at the U.S. border starting May 30, 2017, that will affect all imported FDA-regulated foods—even if they are exempt from the Foreign Supplier Verification Programs (FSVP) regulation under the FDA Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA). All food imports will be rejected at entry unless certain new information is provided to FDA. We summarize these new data requirements below.
FDA Holds Public Hearing on Food Safety Import Strategy Under FSMA
By Joe Levitt, Maile Hermida, Elizabeth Fawell & Kaitlin Welborn on
Earlier this month, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) held a two-day public hearing that addressed the agency’s plans to engage in strategic partnerships to enhance the safety of imported foods. FDA used the hearing as an opportunity to ask questions of and learn from private entities and food safety authorities in other countries. The key topics discussed were the use of third-party certification bodies in regulatory decision-making, systems recognition, international capacity building, and commodity-specific exports and programs. We summarized some of the highlights from the hearing that may be of particular interest to food manufacturers and their trade associations. FDA has opened a docket for comments on the issues discussed at the hearing, which is open through May 16, 2017.
Click here to read the summary.