The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has published a new Voluntary Qualified Importer Program (VQIP) resource to help importers understand eligibility criteria and answer questions prior to submitting an application, as well as to outline the steps for foreign supplier audits under the Accredited Third-Party Certification Program (TPP).

Leveraging digital supply chain technologies—like blockchain, AI, and other solutions—can help importers comply with FDA's Foreign Supplier Verification Program (FSVP) more efficiently and effectively, while also improving supply chain transparency and reducing the risk of food safety incidents.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has announced the fiscal year (FY) 2024 user fee rates for the Voluntary Qualified Importer Program (VQIP) and the Accredited Third-Party Certification Program (TPP). Both are programs under FDA’s Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA).

The UK Government’s Foreign, Commonwealth, and Development Office recently released a guidance on the standards and regulatory requirements that businesses need to meet in order to import and sell goods, including foodstuffs, in the UK.

The UK Government, in collaboration with the Scottish and Welsh Governments, has published a plan that establishes the basis for risk-based checks across EU and non-EU trade. The draft Border Target Operating Model sets forth proposals for a new border surveillance and control system to provide protection from security and biosecurity threats, including those posed by unsafe food imports.

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) has revised a guidance document regarding Safe Food for Canadians licensing requirements for manufacturers and importers of infant formula and human milk fortifier. 

Approximately 46 percent of honey imported to the EU is adulterated, according to the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA). These findings are the result of an EU-coordinated action, titled, “From the Hives.”

After a review, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (USDA’s FSIS) has deemed Paraguay’s food safety inspection system for raw beef products to be equivalent to that of the U.S., which is a step that could allow Paraguay to export beef to the U.S. for the first time since 1997.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has released a report, titled, Activities for the Safety of Imported Seafood. The document shares the steps that FDA is taking to ensure that seafood imported to the U.S. meets food safety requirements and the standards of domestically produced seafood.   

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA’s) Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) has announced that it is accepting applications from eligible organizations seeking funding through the Technical Assistance for Specialty Crops Program (TASC) for fiscal year 2024.