Food importations into the U.S. are subject to oversight by the Food and Drug Administration. There are many FDA regulations that can slow down and even prevent the importation of food. Knowing the rules and processes set in place by the FDA will allow you to import food confidently. Food safety is an important priority for the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The nature of the U.S. food supply is rapidly changing because of complex food supply chains, increasing globalization, changes in the U.S. population, and new and diverse dietary patterns. These changes present new challenges to our food safety system, prompting the FDA to find new ways to strengthen its inspection and enforcement program. Enforcement can range from a warning letter to imprisonment, which is why it is imperative to know how to properly navigate the importation process of food.

Session Objectives:-

• The Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA)
• FDA oversight of food importation
• Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition (CFSAN)
• FDA flags FD3 and FD4
• FDA product code and Product Code Builder
• FDA Prior Notice requirements

Session Outline:-

Topics covered includes: 

• The shift in importer responsibilities
• The foreign supplier verification program
• The Food Safety Modernization Act (FMSA) sections 301 thru 309
• Creating an FDA Product Code using the FDA Product Code Builder
• FDA Prior Notice; What? Who? How? 
• FDA Facility Registration
• FDA Prior Notice submission Constraints
• FDA Prior Notice required information
• Exclusions from FDA Prior Notice rule
• FDA Import Alerts
• New Program – Voluntary Qualified Importer Program (VQIP)
• FDA HTSUS flags; FD3 and FD4

Who Will Benefit?

• Import Brokerage Professionals
• Trade Compliance Professionals
• Food Distributors
• Food Importers
• Food Manufacturers
• Company / Business Owners
• Managers/ Supervisors
• Audit and Compliance Personnel / Risk Managers.
• Any person involved in the importation, handling, warehousing, manufacturing, or distribution of food.