Benjamin England, Founder and CEO of FDAImports.com, on the Food Safety Modernization Act.  This is part 3/3 of a video interview series on Food Chemical News’ Knife and Fork Show.  Other episodes:

Part 1:  Food Safety & Imports

Part 2: China’s Food Safety Reputation

Part 3: Food Safety Modernization Act & Imports

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Benjamin England, Founder and CEO of FDAImports.com, on China’s food safety reputation.  This is part 2/3 of a video interview series on Food Chemical News’ Knife and Fork Show.

Part 1:  Food Safety & Imports

Part 2: China’s Food Safety Reputation

Part 3: Food Safety Modernization Act & Imports

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Americans consume an incredible amount of imported foods. For shrimp, over 90% of what we consume is imported, for produce, 35%, and some estimates claim that 20% of the total U.S. food supply is imported.1  Whether it’s caviar or truffles or bananas or cookies, we love our food choices, in season and out, and would be devastated if our imported food supplies suddenly dried up.  Yet whenever there is a food safety scare (E. coli, Listeria, Salmonella, antibiotics), some Americans are quick to turn on “foreign foods” … READ MORE

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The demand for organic products is on the rise, despite higher prices, according to a recent report from the TABS Group, Inc. The Annual Organic Product Study for 2011 showed an estimated 15-20% growth in sales for organics products, for both foods and cosmetics. The research showed that consumers 40 and under purchase more organic products than older consumers, even though the younger demographic has less disposable income to absorb the higher price points commanded by organic products. This trend indicates sales in organic goods are … READ MORE

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FDAImports.com and ExportToUsa.com.cn Founder and CEO, Benjamin England, was recently invited to join the China International Aquatic Products Network as an official expert resource for FDA regulation and imports to the United States.  In this capacity he will assist CIAPN and its members with FDA compliance issues, specifically, seafood and aquaculture compliance. CIAPN is sponsored by the China Aquatic Processing and Marketing Association, which serves Chinese seafood manufacturers and producers.

CIAPN has also published research and articles from FDAImports.com and ExportToUsa.com.cn on a variety of FDA compliance and … READ MORE

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Below are some of our favorite quotes and exchanges from last week’s Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Health hearing, “Examining the Current State of Cosmetics.”  If you haven’t read our first blog about it please read that here.  What follows below are some of the more interesting quotes and exchanges from Michael Landa’s testimony portion of the hearing (our thoughts in italics):

 “FDA’s current authority is principally post-market…the pre-market authority is limited to color additives… we have the authority to ban ingredients … READ MORE

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Last week the U. S. House of Representatives, Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Health, held a hearing entitled, “Examining the Current State of Cosmetics,” the first of its kind in decades, featuring panel testimonies and inquiry related to the overall safety of cosmetics in the USA.  A few assumptions emerged as the hearing got underway:

Cosmetics are under-regulated compared to other products

The FDA has shockingly little resources assigned to cosmetics

The FDA has little authority to regulate, recall, etc…

There … READ MORE

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Christmas.  Easter.  Halloween.  If it’s a holiday then Americans are spending.

A recent Journal of Commerce article, Imports Set to Surge, delivers growing import statistics and projects increased growth for coming months with the implication that retailers are building up stock for increased spending.  “Imports from Asia in January rose 2.9 percent year-over-year, and Moreno forecasts traffic growth will level out at 2.5 percent in 2012,” the article states.  Yet it seems that every time a gift-giving holiday comes around, importers are always behind in … READ MORE

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Imagine you’re a parent thinking about which private school to send your child to. You’re looking at School X and it seems like a great fit; it’s close, inexpensive, great teachers, etc… But as you peruse the school’s website you’re suddenly shocked to find a horrifying statistic. In 2008 the school had 20 students out sick, 40 students out in 2009 and then a whopping 80 students out sick last year! Looks like an epidemic! “There’s no way I’m sending my kid to that sick ward!” Looks like you just made your decision, right? But what’s the missing factor … READ MORE

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The Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) enacted January 4, 2011 set forth a variety of benchmark reporting requirements for FDA, one of which is a summary of the FDA’s foreign offices and their progress and direction for the future.  The FDA has recently submitted this report and it gives us a glimpse into the international intentions of FDA.  Being in the FDA Import Regulatory Consultant business, we think that’s kind of useful. FDA’s report discusses the agency’s vision for its field offices, a distinction between “posts” and “offices,” the tasks and activities of foreign posts, the past progress and … READ MORE

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The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has been using social media for over a year now and has expanded and built-out its channels to include Facebook, YouTube, Twitter and Flickr.  Below are some statistics on the agency’s social media channels and engagement in 2011.  (As of 1.5.2012)   For more on the FDA and social media please read our other related blog, “What Does American Think of the FDA?”

 
Facebook Page
18,346 likes

101 posts in 2011

22 Average comments per post in 2011

Most commented … READ MORE

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