FDA Updates on U.S. Food Safety Partnership with Mexico
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has provided an update on its partnership with Mexico’s National Service of Agro-Alimentary Health, Safety, and Quality (SENASICA) and the Mexican Federal Commission for Protection against Sanitary Risk (COFEPRIS). According to FDA, approximately one third of all FDA-regulated human food imported into the U.S. is from Mexico, including 60 percent of fresh produce imports.
The FDA-SENASICA-Cofepris Food Safety Partnership (FSP) was established in September 2020, after six years of collaboration on fresh produce safety between FDA’s Latin America Office and Mexican food safety officials. The scope of the FSP has been expanded beyond fresh produce to include the safety of all human food. Aligned with FDA’s New Era of Smarter Food Safety blueprint, the goal of the FSP is to prevent foodborne illnesses by using modern approaches and preventive practices based on technical and scientific evidence, health surveillance, and verification measures.