On July 26, 2013, the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) announced the publication of two additional proposed rules under the U.S. Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA):

  • Foreign Supplier Verification Programs for Importers of Food for Humans and Animals: In this proposed rule, importers would be required to perform certain risk-based activities to verify that food imported into the U.S. has been produced with the same food safety standards that are required of U.S. producers.
  • Accreditation of Third-Party Auditors: This proposed rule aims to establish a comprehensive, credible and reliable program of oversight based on third-party audits and certification of foreign food facilities to help the FDA make decisions regarding the admissibility of imported foods.

Who do the proposed rules impact?

If you export produce to the U.S. you are likely covered under one or both of the proposals and you need to know how these rules could impact your business and your supply chain partners.

On Friday, 30 August 2013 at 5:00 AM AEST (Thursday, August 29 at 3:00 pm US Eastern Time), PMA Global will be broadcasting a free webinar from the US with the FDA focusing on the two latest proposed rules: Foreign Supplier Verification Program and Accreditation of Third Party Auditors. The FDA will review the key points of each proposed rule. Joining FDA officials on the call to answer your questions will be PMA’s Chief Science & Technology Officer, Dr. Bob Whitaker, Dr. Jim Gorny, Vice President of Food Safety & Technology and Tom O’Brien, PMA’s representative in Washington D.C.

Just how will these rules impact your business? And how can you make your voice heard during the FDA comment period? Here are 3 simple ways you can gain more information and be prepared:

  1. Register here for next week’s free webinar to learn more about the proposed rules and to get answers to your questions from the FDA and PMA’s food safety experts.
  2. Visit PMA’s FSMA resource page for full details on the Food Safety Modernization Act and other useful resources, including how you will be able to provide comments on the proposed rules once they are published.
  3. Join PMA’s FSMA community on PMA Xchange to post questions and engage with PMA staff experts and members on this important topic. We’ll also be posting updates on PMA’s Facebook page and through Twitter using hashtags: #FSMA and #freshproduce