Top-level Design Principles for Imported Food Regulation : FDA Import Food Safety Strategy

Figure 1 Proportion of imported food in the U.

U.

According to data, U.

The U.

Figure 2 Number of batches of food exported to the United States by country

Although food safety efforts in the United States are intensifying, tens of millions of people still fall ill

Figure 3 Proportion of imports and domestic products of some food products in the US market in 2016 (based on price)

The purpose of the FDA Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) is to shift the focus of federal law enforcement agencies from responding to food hazards to preventive measures before they occur, while the FSMA grants the FDA greater authority to implement more preventive controls to ensure the safety

The FSMA gives the FDA more regulatory and enforcement powers – in addition to establishing food safety regulations, the FDA can also regulate relevant industries to ensure compliance

Choosing appropriate and sufficient measures and means to control at different nodes of the international food supply chain can not only reduce the health risks of the public, but also give domestic and foreign producers a certain operating space, which is both flexible and effective

Figure 4 U.

Guiding Principles

Food companies or farms in the United States, whether within the United States or in the other hemisphere, are required to comply with uniform food safety requirements

The FSMA recognizes the importance of integrating law enforcement resources based on the magnitude of the risk, so the FDA is continuing to improve its ability to

Protecting public health is the first priority: the ultimate goal of all imported food safety activities is to protect and promote public health

Working with stakeholders and establishing a prevention-based system is key to success: THE FDA needs to work with all interested parties to ensure that the entire food production process, from farm to fork, is conducted safely and that foodborne illnesses and hazards can occur

Maintaining science, professionalism, and innovation is fundamental to FDA's food safety work: Scientific advances drive FDA's imported food activities, from judging the effectiveness of food safety controls from food testing, to establishing new testing methods to detect pathogens or contaminants in imported food, and to building a network of laboratories with more and greater capabilities to ensure that imported foods meet the requirements of U.

Give domestic and foreign food producers the operating space: The FDA must use all regulatory tools to ensure that imported food reaches the same level

Allocating resources according to the level of risk is the most effective way to protect public health: data analysis is key

Measurement and continuous improvement are needed to ensure success: The development of performance measures and outcome indicators for imported food safety will improve and maximize the success
of imported food safety activities.

Establish a principle of transparency: FDA will fulfill its commitment
to transparency and openness in enforcement by publishing non-confidential information on inspections of foreign suppliers and importers, food inspections and sampling, or other imported food safety activities.