Service offers U.S. importers help with FSVP

Chile-based produce consulting firm Decofrut is offering a new service to help U.S. fresh produce importers implement the Foreign Supplier Verification Program.

Starting in July 2018, U.S. companies will be responsible for any eventual biological, chemical or physical contamination of the food they import, according to a news release.

The release said the Food and Drug Administration’s rule requires that importers perform certain risk-based activities to verify that food has been produced in a way that meets U.S. safety standards. 

“The new law shares the growers and processors’ responsibility of ensuring that the product has been produced and processed under innocuous conditions with the U.S. importers,” Decofrut president Manuel Alcaino said in the release. “In addition, whereas before the responsibility was regulated by civil law, it will now be enforced under criminal law.”

Decofrut’s new service called Assistance was developed with Fruits Safety SpA, according to the release. The service can help importers implement the food safety law’s Foreign Supplier Verification Program. 

Starting out, the service will initially be available for importers working with companies in Chile and Peru, according to the release.

“It isn’t too difficult to be compliant with the law, especially because Chile and Peru already have quite good levels of compliance with food safety requirements,” Alcaino said in the release. “But the complicated aspect for the importer is gathering all of the documents for the various prevention plans and having them all available for when the fruit arrives in the U.S.”

The service will upload required food safety documents from suppliers to an online platform that will allow importers quick and easy access, according to the release.

“The importer will be able to see the risk level of every foreign supplier and will have all the information they need ready when the shipment arrives, Alcaino said in the release.