US FDA to continue working with Indian partners in training food suppliers

United States Food and Drug Administrator (US FDA) on Saturday said that it will continue to work with its Indian partners to promote training for food suppliers. The FDA team is visiting India to introduce government and industry stakeholders to the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA).

FSMA directs FDA to work with food producers to systematically prevent safety problems rather than relying primarily on responding to problems after they occur.

"Food industry training for domestic and foreign food producers and domestic importers is crucial for FSMA implementation. FDA will continue to work with our Indian partners to promote training to food suppliers," said Howard Sklamberg, deputy commissioner for global regulatory operations and policy, USFDA.

The FDA team is in Gujarat to talk about the new law to spice exporters at the World Spice Congress organised by the Spices Board. FDA officials also met Gujarat government officials on Friday.

According to Sklamberg, FSMA sets standards for the production and harvesting of produce on farms and makes importers accountable for the safety of the food they bring into the US. These rules are central to holding domestic and international food producers and processors to the same high standards for food safety.

"These rules were created with unprecedented input from stakeholders worldwide," Skalmberg said.

The top drug administrator discussed four basic elements of FSMA with the Indian industries and government.

"Four basic elements of the FSMA, which we discussed with the industries and government, are preventive controls, foreign supplier verification programme, produce safety rule and third party accreditation rule," Sklamberg added.

These new measures respond to the challenges of food safety in today's global food system, in which imported food accounts for about 15% of the US food supply, including about 50% of the fresh fruits and 20% of the fresh vegetables consumed by Americans. Apparently, India is the seventh largest supplier of food to the US.

Meanwhile, inaugurating the World Spice Congress at Ahmedabad, Commerce Secretary Rita Teaotia stressed on quality assurance.

"India is having about 48 per cent market share in global spices market. Quality assurance is necessary when we are world leader," said Teaotia.