SGS has achieved accreditation by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) to certify foreign food suppliers under the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA)'s Accredited Third-Party Certification Program of the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA).
The accreditation gives SGS the authority to provide foreign suppliers with FSMA certification for both Voluntary Qualified Importer Program (VQIP) and the Foreign Supplier Verification Program (FSVP). Foreign food suppliers can opt for both schemes or choose the one that is most relevant to them.
"We are delighted to broaden our offer with this accreditation which, for the first time, gives suppliers from across the globe the opportunity to demonstrate their compliance with the US food safety regulations," said Hank Karayan, SGS FSMA Program Director. "It marks a huge milestone for both foreign suppliers and their US clients. It allows importers to apply for expedited entry of food under the Voluntary Qualified Importer Program, while opening up new opportunities for foreign suppliers looking to expand their export activities to the US."
The US FDA FSMA is the most sweeping reform of US food safety laws in over 70 years. It applies to facilities that manufacture, process, pack or hold food for humans or animal food. Produce farms, US importers, shippers, receivers, loaders and carriers who transport food in the United States are also subject to FSMA.
FSMA equips the FDA to recognize accreditation bodies like ANSI to assess the competence of food safety certification bodies. SGS was assessed by ANSI in accordance with the international standard ISO/IEC 17065, Conformity assessment – Requirements for bodies certifying products, processes, and services; and the pertinent regulatory and certification scheme requirements.
SGS offers audit, testing, supplier verification, training, and technical services to help organizations comply with FSMA.
About SGS
SGS is the world's leading inspection, verification, testing and certification company. SGS is recognized as the global benchmark for quality and integrity. With more than 97,000 employees, SGS operates a network of over 2,600 offices and laboratories around the world.