The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced on 26 July that it was implementing new rules governing imported food of all kinds, including seafood, in accordance with the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA).
The two new rules require American importing companies to verify that foreign suppliers are “implementing modern, prevention-oriented food safety practices, and achieving the same level of food safety as domestic growers and processors.” The rules also require improved foreign food safety audits.
The rules apply to all imported food, including seafood. Published reports show that more than 90 percent of the seafood Americans eat comes from foreign countries.
“We must work toward global solutions to food safety so that whether you serve your family food grown locally or imported you can be confident that it is safe,” said FDA Commissioner Margaret A. Hamburg. “Today’s announcement of these two new proposed rules will help to meet the challenges of our complex global food supply system. Our success will depend in large part on partnerships across nations, industries, and business sectors.”
While it is common for companies to conduct audits of their foreign suppliers, the FDA’s new rules are now requiring it for the first time.
The FDA rules do not require companies to obtain certifications but the 26 July statement indicated certifications “may be used by the FDA to determine whether to admit certain imported food that poses a safety risk into the United States.”
