The United States Food & Drug Administration (USFDA) plans to train food suppliers in India for successful implementation of the Food Safety Modernisation Act (FSMA) to systematically prevent safety problems rather than responding to complications after they occur.

Howard Sklamberg, Deputy Commissioner (Global Regulatory Operations and Policy) of USFDA said that India is the 7th largest supplier of food to the United States and hence it is important for the US Government as well as the Indian food suppliers, industry stakeholders and local Governments to learn about the FSMA.

"These new measures respond to the challenges of food safety in today's global food system, in which imported food accounts for about 15 per cent of the US food supply, including about 50 per cent of the fresh fruits and 20 per cent of the fresh vegetables consumed by Americans. Food industry training for domestic and foreign food producers and domestic importers is crucial for FSMA implementation," said the deputy commissioner who was in Ahmedabad to attend World Spice Congress.

FSMA is USA's most sweeping reform pertaining to food safety system in 70 years, he said adding that USA is committed to working with its international partners, consumers and industry to implement the law in a timely and efficient manner.

"FSMA sets standards for the production and harvesting of produce on farms and makes importers accountable for the safety of the food they bring into the United States. These rules are central to holding domestic and international food producers and processors to the same high standards for food safety", he said adding that the rules were created with unprecedented input from Stakeholders worldwide including that of India.

According to him, he had discussed with his counterparts in Indian government as well as with the Indian stakeholders on four basic elements of FSMA - preventive controls, the Foreign Supplier Verification Program (FSVP), produce safety rules and the Third Party Accreditation rule.