On Thursday June 4, 2015, the Food and Drug
Administration (FDA) released draft guidance outlining the implementation of
the Voluntary Qualified Importer Program (VQIP). VQIP is a fee-based program,
established by the Food Safety Modernization Act, that expedites the
importation process for importers with a proven track record of food safety.
The aim of the program is to incentivize the
adoption of practices that will improve importers’ supply chains and allow the
FDA to focus resources to higher risk areas of food safety. The program rewards
those importers that have maintained a strong record of food safety and benefits
public health by allowing the FDA to shift focus to those importers with poorer
track records.
The guidance contains the expected benefits of and
the criteria for participation in the program. The document also details the
instructions for applying to the program, as well as the scenarios that may
result in an importer being removed from the program.
The draft guidance, once finalized, will represent
the FDA’s current thoughts on the implementation of the program, and will not
create any new binding regulations or duties on the part of the FDA or
importers. There is no obligation on the part of an importer to take part in
the program, as participation is purely voluntary.
The complete draft guidance is available here.
Public comments on the draft are open until August 4, 2015, and can be
submitted here.
Written by Tyler R. Etter- Research Assistant
June 9, 2015
