Editor's Note
FDA Law Blog reports on the first FDA warning letter issued for a violation of the requirements for a Foreign Supplier Verification Program (FSVP). Under the FSVP requirements, a U.S.-based FSVP importer must conduct a range of activities to ensure that food from foreign suppliers is produced in compliance with applicable U.S. food safety provisions. The first FSVP compliance date was May 30, 2017.  By now, most importers of human foods are past the compliance date and all FSVP importers of food, unless exempted, must have developed a FSVP. AHPA provides an overview of FSVP requirements in this archived webinar.
On August 13, 2019,  FDA announced  that it has issued the first  Warning Letter  (WL) for a violation of the requirements for a Foreign Supplier Verification Program (FSVP). This is a good reminder for importers that they must have a FSVP for each food for which they are the FSVP importer. ...

The first WL concerning the FSVP was issued to Brodt Zenatti Holdings LLC in Jupiter, Florida. The Company imported tahini which, in May 2019, had been implicated in a Salmonella outbreak. After identifying the importer, FDA conducted an FSVP inspection. According to the WL, FDA found that the importer did not develop an FSVP for the imported tahini as required. As with everything imported, the consequences of a violation of the applicable regulations may have serious consequences.