Intensive release of new food safety law in the United States

Recently, the US Food and Drug Administration (hereinafter referred to as "FDA") passed the implementation rules of the food safety Modernization Act and officially issued three new regulations, namely "agricultural product safety production law", "foreign supplier verification procedure law" and "third-party certification law". These regulations have evolved from the Modern Food Safety Act (FSMA) established by the United States in 2011. While forcing local farm production to meet safety standards, they also require to ensure that imported agricultural products meet American domestic standards. It is reported that the U.S. FDA has given a certain transition period, and most importers are required to comply with the new regulations by may 2017 (after 18 months). After the transition period, non-conforming food production enterprises exported to the United States will not be able to continue to export.
According to these regulations, importers must know whether the farm or food processor supplying food has taken necessary measures to eliminate potential safety hazards. At the same time, importers must accept the supervision of a third-party independent certification body to confirm whether they have complied with their obligations under the new regulations. These new regulations have greatly improved food hygiene standards, and the relevant inspection and approval procedures have become more complex, which puts forward new requirements and challenges for food and agricultural exporters in various countries, including China.
It is understood that in recent years, food imports from the United States have increased year by year. 15% of the food consumed by Americans are imported from abroad, while 30% are imported fresh fruits and vegetables. According to statistics, at present, there are about 2500 food enterprises exported to the United States in China, with an export volume of 169600 batches in 2014 and a value of US $7.495 billion. The implementation of relevant US regulations will have an important and far-reaching impact on food exported to the United States.
In order to ensure the smooth development of food trade exported to the United States, the inspection and Quarantine Department reminded relevant enterprises: first, pay close attention to the study of new laws and regulations, study and analyze the contents of laws and regulations, conduct self inspection and rectification in advance, and actively avoid and prevent risks; Second, improve the quality and safety management system, organize production management in strict accordance with the requirements of new U.S. regulations, constantly improve production facilities and hygiene conditions, and ensure that food hygiene control and management meet the requirements of new U.S. regulations; Third, certification companies can actively participate in third-party recognition, actively strive to become a third-party auditor recognized by FDA by strengthening communication and consultation with FDA, guide enterprises to prepare for on-site inspection by FDA according to the requirements of new regulations, and strive for the voice and initiative of food exported to the United States.