Food Safety Modernization Act

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has announced a public meeting on the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) Proposed Rules on foreign Supplier Verfication Programs and the Accreditation of Third-Party Auditors/Certification Bodies.

The meeting will be held on Oct. 22, 2013 at the Hilton Long Beach & Executive Meeting Center.

The purpose of this meeting is to discuss the two proposed rules aimed at strengthening assurances that imported food meets the same safety standards as domestically produced food.  The first rule is the Foreign Supplier Verification Program which would establish requirements for importers to verify that their foreign suppliers are implementing the food safety practices called for by the FSMA. The second proposed rule on the Accreditation of Third-Party Auditors/Certification Bodies would strengthen the quality, objectivity and transparency of foreign food safety audits on which many U.S. food companies currently rely.

The meeting is designed to solicit comments on the proposed rules, inform the public about the rulemaking process and respond to questions about the proposed rules.

To register to reserve a place to learn about these proposed rules and voice your opinion, please visit:

http://www.fda.gov/Food/GuidanceRegulation/FSMA/ucm368320.htm