FDA Food Safety Rules Proposed for Imported Food

Federal health regulators have proposed two new food safety rules, which would place heavy responsibility on importers to ensure the food they receive from foreign companies is safe for U.S. consumers.  

The Foreign Supplier Verification Rule (FSVR) (PDF) and the Third-Party accreditation rule (PDF), announced Friday by the FDA, are the first in a series of updates to the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA), which was passed two years ago.

FSMA is the first update to the FDA’s food safety authority in 70 years, and was established to help ensure a safer food supply. Both rules have been published in the federal register and are open for public comment until November 26, 2013.

The FSVR would make food importers responsible to verify their foreign suppliers. They would be required to implement food safety practices, keep records that would be subject to audit and verify their suppliers products meet U.S. food safety requirements. The importers would also be required to identify any potential food safety hazards and implement a system to control such hazards.

“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, M.D. “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.”

The Third-party accreditation rule would establish accreditation bodies, foreign governments or private companies, which would accredit third-party auditors to inspect the imported food. The auditors would also be responsible for inspecting foreign food facilities and issuing safety certifications.

Food Market Becoming More Complex

The world faces an increasingly globalized food economy, with imported food accounting for 15 percent of the supply in the United States. Food is imported into the U.S. from more than 150 different countries, with more than half of all fresh fruits sold received from foreign suppliers and approximately 20 percent of the vegetables sold in the U.S. are foreign grown.

With only one to two percent of all imports inspected at American ports and borders each year, FDA officials say these rules will make importers more accountable for food safety, thereby strengthening the quality. The rules will also increase the safety of foreign food coming into the U.S., making foreign food meet the same quality as food produced domestically. The FDA estimates the cost to implement the two new rules would reach nearly $500 million annually.

One in 6 people become ill from eating contaminated food each year. More than 130,000 people are hospitalized from food borne illnesses, such as salmonella and E. Coli. Approximately 3,000 die each year.

FDA officials say they hope that by implementing the new rules they will begin preventing food borne illnesses and food safety issues; instead of merely responding when illness occurs.