FDA Delays Inspections Amid Political Food Fight in Jamaica over FSMA
Food Court reported in September 160 (roughly 80%) of Jamaican food producers are below the required standards of the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) taking effect in the new year. Since that time the Jamaican government is scrambling to bailout the food industry.
Today The Jamican Gleaner reports that the political situation in Jamaica has lead the FDA to postpone inspections. The FDA previously arranged inspections of several Jamaican food-processing companies to determine whether they would meet the standards set by the Food Safety Modernization Act. The Industry and Commerce Minister has pushed back recently against rumors that exports were already banned. The Minister reminded food processors that the law will not take effect until Janurary. Still the exports could be in jeopardy without inspections by the FDA. The inspections are part of the FDA’s efforts to provide Jamaica with technical assistance to ready the food sector for exporting under the new rules.
On Wednesday, FDA programme specialist Tanesha Mhali wrote to Bureau of Standards Jamaica (BSJ) saying some inspections would be delayed. According to the The Gleaner, “Due to unforeseen circumstances, the remainder of the scheduled FDA inspection will be cancelled. The firms will be contacted again with new dates next year,” Mhali wrote Wednesday night.
The US embassy statement a day later made it clear that the agency was wary of being caught up in domestic politics.
“The FDA will determine if and when the remaining three companies will be rescheduled for inspection.”
Jamaica exports $118million USD in food annually (common food exports include sugar, bananas, citrus fruits, coffee, & rum). Failing to meet FSMA standards is not an option for the Jamaican government.
Look for Jamaica and other exporting nations to rush to compliance in the next couple of months.
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Failure to comply to the Food Safety Modernization Act will prove to be a costly mistake for a nation like Jamaica, which exports $118 million worth of food annually. The FDA is working with foreign exporters to help increase food safety protocol through inspections and increased oversight, making Jamaica’s compliance and transparency imperative to prove their commitment in meeting high quality standards. It would be beneficial for companies to seek help from third-party partners knowledgeable about the U.S. recall process in order to pass inspections.
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