The new Foreign Supplier Verification Program (FSVP) will become effective on Tuesday, May 30, 2017. The FSVP is an FDA program that requires importers to verify that their foreign suppliers are producing food in a manner that meets public safety regulations and ensures that the supplier’s food is not adulterated or misbranded with respect to allergen labeling.
The FSVP has many new requirements and importers must comply at the time of entry. The new information that will be required for each supplier under the FSVP includes the following:
- Firm Name
- Firm Address
- DUNS Number
- Email Address
- Individual’s Name
- Individual’s Phone Number
The absence of any piece of information for a food product will cause the entry to be rejected by CBP (certain exemptions may apply). It is important to note that the above requirements are separate and distinct from Prior Notice requirements.
The following fall under FSVP importer exemptions:
- Firms subject to juice or seafood HACCP regulations
- Food for research or evaluation
- Food for personal consumption
- Alcoholic beverages and ingredients (when importer uses them to make an alcoholic beverage)
- Food transshipped through U.S.
- Food imported for processing and export
- “U.S. goods returned”
- Meat, poultry, and egg products subject to USDA regulation at time of importation
Additionally, there are products that fall under a modified set of requirements. Those include the following:
- Low Acid Canned Food (not further processed)*
- Manufacturer/processor (1.502(c))
- Dietary Supplements (21CFR-1.511)
- Very Small Importers & Small Foreign Suppliers (21CFR 1.512)
- Countries with Comparable or Equivalent Food Safety Systems (21CFR 1.513
*Regarding low acid canned foods, FSVP is not required with respect to microbiological hazards. Rather there must be verification and documentation that those foods were produced in accordance with 21 CFR part 113. All matters that are not controlled by part 113 such as chemical and radiological, will require an FSVP.
Non-compliance with FSVP can have serious consequence including suspension of food facility registration, withdraw of commercial contracts, disruption of consumer confidence, placement on FDA Import Alerts, product recall and financial loss.
Please contact Vandegrift at Compliance@vandegriftinc.com as soon as possible if you have any questions about FSVP compliance.