The FDAImports.com and ExportToUsa.com.cn Team will be exhibiting at the 2012 Natural Products Expo Asia in Hong Kong on August 23 – 25, 2012.  In addition to exhibiting at one of Asia’s largest natural products events, Rick Quinn, Principal at FDAImports.com will be giving a presentation on importing to the United States with a special emphasis on food and dietary supplement compliance strategies.  His presentation, “How to Successfully Import Natural Products into the United States,” will cover the following:

• The … READ MORE
  
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FDAImports.com Founder and CEO, Benjamin England, recently spoke at the Food and Drug Law Institute’s Annual Conference on the Food Safety Modernization Act and imports.  During the presentation, “How FSMA Changed the Game on Imports,” Mr. England discussed, along with leading FDA lawyers and industry and FDA officials, elements related to FSMA affecting imported foods and international trade, including the Foreign Supplier Verification Program (FSVP), the Voluntary Qualified Importer Program (VQIP), various challenges to the international supply … READ MORE

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Are you a cosmetics manufacturer or importer bringing in product to the United States?  The FDA is serious about regulating cosmetics, especially when it comes to color additives (see chart).  Make sure you’re not making one of these common mistakes when it comes to importing your cosmetic products into the USA. The four most common mistakes are:

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1.  Using a color additive that is not FDA-Approved.  Many manufacturers use a color additive that is … READ MORE

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Can you spell “ex-am-in-ation”?

Even if you can spell it, can you define it?  If you can’t then you won’t have any surprises this fall while you’re importing food to the USA.  If you can correctly define what an “examination” is then you’d better sit down before you continue reading this.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) examines only 2% of the shipments entering the U.S. market under its jurisdiction, including imported foods. Starting October 1, 2011, under the Food Safety Modernization Act, FDA will beginning charging food importers a fee (based upon an hourly rate) … READ MORE

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Benjamin L. England, former FDA Regulatory Counsel and CEO of FDAImports.com, commented on the recent E. coli outbreak in Germany.  The E. coli outbreak attributed to Spanish cucumbers bears the comment that any grower or packer of fresh fruits and vegetables shipping to the U.S.A. with the misfortune of experiencing a similar contamination should expect to receive at least as harsh a response from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration as Spanish cucumber suppliers are … READ MORE

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In an executive order signed last week, President Obama ordered all government agencies to conduct a cost-benefit analysis before issuing a new regulation and to develop any future regulations in the least-burdensome manner possible and with specific performance goals. Obama also instructed federal agencies to seek and assess all available alternatives to direct regulation before issuing a new rule.

In an opinion piece published in The Wall Street Journal, Obama singled out the FDA as an example of an agency whose regulations have caused confusion.

Cost benefit analysis must benefit the government too, you know.  Obama is not saying “Be nice … READ MORE

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