The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued a final guidance for the Foreign Supplier Verification Programs for Importers of Food for Humans and Animals (FSVP). FSVP is a regulation outlined in in 21 CFR part 1, subpart L of the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA), establishing importers’ accountability for verifying that their foreign suppliers are producing food in compliance with U.S. safety standards.

FDA has also collaborated with the Food Safety Preventive Controls Alliance (FSPCA) to develop training materials to facilitate FSVP compliance.

The guidance provides information to importers of human and animal food about how they can comply with FSVP. The document includes recommendations on the requirements for analyzing hazards in food, evaluating a potential foreign supplier’s performance and risks posed by their food, and determining and conducting appropriate foreign supplier verification activities. The guidance also addresses how importers can meet modified FSVP requirements in a variety of categories, such as requirements for importers of dietary supplements or very small importers.

The present guidance finalizes a draft guidance that was issued in 2018. Changes were made in response to comments received on the draft guidance, including providing additional clarification regarding applicable food under FSVP, information that must be included in FSVP, and who is responsible for developing and executing FSVP activities.