FSVP Importer under FSMA

The Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) is a set of rules that give the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) new authority to regulate how foods are grown, harvested, and processed. The act mandates that the foods imported from foreign countries have high standards to meet domestic food requirements. FSMA has 7 Preventive Control Rules for food, including produce safety rule, FSVP rule, accredited third-party certification, sanitary transportation rule, intentional adulteration rule, and complying with FSMA.

The Foreign Supplier Verification Program (FSVP) regulated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) mandates that importers perform specific risk-based activities to ascertain that food imported to the USA is produced in a manner that meets applicable US safety standards. FSVP is like the Safe Food for Canadians Regulations (SFCR) in Canada which verifies and proves to the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) that  food imported into Canada meets regulations and standards.

The US and Canada have developed the Food Safety Systems Recognition Arrangement (FSSRA). The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Foreign Supplier Verification Program (FSVP) applies a revised set of regulations for US importers when they import food that is covered under the FSSRA from Canadian manufacturers in compliance with the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA). This makes it easier for US and Canadian imports and exports.

If you manufacture, process, preserve, treat, package, grade, or label for inter-provincial trade or export fish products using a meat product as an ingredient, you must have a Safe Food for Canadians (SFC) license to conduct these activities or be imported by an SFC license holder.

The Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA)Foreign Supplier Verification Program (FSVP) enables overseas suppliers (non-US suppliers of food products) to procure certification following an audit. It reduces the requirements of various supplier audits required by US importers by undergoing one certification audit.

No, the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) applies to the United States only.

The FSMA, which was signed in 2011, aims to ensure that the United States food supply is free of contamination. The Act put in place regulations that help prevent contamination instead of responding to it which was the previous normal process. The regulations apply to both food and animal food.

Follow these 7 steps when verifying your FSVP plan:

Step 1: Review Compliance Status

Step 2: Perform Hazard Analysis

Step 3: Verify Suppliers

Step 4: Take Corrective Action

Step 5: Provide Importer Identification Upon Entry

Step 6: Maintain accurate records over time

Step 7:  Reassess the FSVP plan over consistently

The FSVP program requires that a resident of the United States serves as the FSVP importer. The FSVP agent is responsible for maintaining the food safety-related documentation.

What is the objective of the FSRP? The FSRP encourages national industry organizations to develop food safety systems in line with a systematic and preventive approach to food safety called Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points (HACCP), which in turn strengthens Canada’s food system.

• FSMA rule: Produce safety rule.
• FSMA rule: Foreign supplier verification program (FSVP).
• FSMA rule: Sanitary transportation rule.
• FSMA rule: Protection against intentional adulteration.
• FSMA rule: Accredited third-party certification.
• FSMA rule: Preventive control rule for human and animal food.