Food safety in supply chains is of utmost importance. As the food product changes hands from raw material to finished product, it goes through several touchpoints, including production, transportation,1 storage, and packaging, increasing the risk of contamination and fraudulent activities. The more complex the supply chain, the higher the probability of such risks. Without accountability and transparency among different stakeholders, including the tier 1 and tier 2 suppliers, it becomes challenging to avoid or respond to food safety incidents. The risk has increased significantly with greater offshoring to different markets, including developed and emerging markets.
Accordingly, to enable higher accountability and traceability in the food supply chain, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) enacted the Foreign Supplier Verification Program (FSVP)2 via the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) in 2016. Through the FSVP requirements, food importers are now liable for their foreign-based suppliers. According to FDA, they must ensure that the "…foreign suppliers are producing food in a manner that provides the same level of public health protection as the preventive controls or produce safety regulations." Importers are now responsible for hazard assessments, risk evaluation, supplier audits, supplier performance assessments, and the development of written procedures, along with extensive recordkeeping.