US: FDA publishes draft guidance for expedited importer program
Food Safety News: One requirement of the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) is for the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to develop a program to expedite food imports to the U.S. from importers with a proven food safety track record.
On Thursday, FDA published draft guidance for industry explaining how the new fee-based Voluntary Qualified Importer Program (VQIP) will work.
The document lays out the benefits of participating in the VQIP program, eligibility criteria, instructions for obtaining facility certifications for foreign suppliers, instructions for completing a VQIP application, VQIP user fees, reasons why benefits might be revoked, and, using a question-and-answer format, how to be reinstated in the program.