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By: Michael R. TaylorAll countries face the challenges presented by a food supply that is increasingly global, and consumers rightfully expect that the food they eat is safe no matter where it comes from. We all have the same … Continue reading →
Talking Across International Borders About FSMA
By: Michael R. Taylor
All countries face the challenges presented by a food supply that is increasingly global, and consumers rightfully expect that the food they eat is safe no matter where it comes from. We all have the same goals: safe food, consumer confidence, and efficient and effective oversight to reach those goals.With that in mind, our partnerships with foreign food producers and our regulatory counterparts in other countries are increasingly important. As we get closer to releasing the final rules that will implement the FDA Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA), we are reaching across borders to ensure that our international stakeholders have the information and training they need to meet these new standards.
The need for this international outreach is a message that came through loud and clear at a public meeting this April on FSMA implementation. The feedback from agricultural attaches, overseas business owners, and representatives from governments worldwide was that they want to hear more about what to expect, and how to prepare for what’s ahead.
To address these concerns, we invited representatives of foreign embassies and other international stakeholders to attend a roundtable discussion on June 23, 2015. In the attached video, you’ll see both the optimism and concerns that surfaced during the meeting at FDA’s Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition in College Park, Md.
On June 23, 2015, FDA held a meeting of representatives of foreign embassies and international stakeholders involved in implementation of the FDA Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA). This is the fifth video blog in which the people who will be helping to make FSMA a reality share their insights on challenges, opportunities and next steps. (The first video is Voices of FSMA: The Road to Implementation; the second:Voices of FSMA: The Opportunities Ahead; the third: Voices of FSMA: The Challenges We Face; the fourth: Voices of FSMA: Moving Forward.)
One sentiment, expressed at the meeting, was: “The United States isn’t the only country concerned about food safety.” From FDA’s perspective, we’re counting on that as we build the partnerships we’ll need to help ensure the safety of foods all over the world. We will join forces with agriculture and public health officials in other countries, international industries and associations, multilateral organizations, and academia to address the unique needs of foreign food producers who must comply with the new FSMA regulations.
We’re operating under the premise that the vast majority of food producers, both foreign and domestic, want to ensure the safety of their foods. We will be relying on our international partners to help us find ways to provide solid verification that the FSMA standards are being met.
The earliest compliance dates will be a year after we publish the first final rules this summer. In the meantime, we are working with our public and private partners to develop training for domestic and international food producers. These partners include the U.S. Department of Agriculture, grower and local food system groups, and the Food Safety Preventive Controls and Produce Safety alliances, whose members include the FDA, local and state regulatory agencies, the food industry, and academia.
We are committed to making FSMA implementation as open and transparent a process as possible. The April public meeting and the June roundtable discussion were just two steps in that process. But they were important steps because both provided open and frank conversations.
We’ve got a long road ahead. We’ve long worked with other countries as trading and regulatory partners. Now, we aspire to be food safety partners, working together and supporting each other when problems arise. These partnerships ultimately will benefit consumers all over the world.
Michael R. Taylor is FDA’s Deputy Commissioner for Foods and Veterinary Medicine.
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