KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation (Matrade) alerted Malaysian food exporters to the US to make sure their products are in compliance with the Foreign Supplier Verification Programme (FSVP), which will come into effect in the US in May.
According to details, the rule that falls under the country’s Food Safety and Modernisation Act of 2011 requires US-based importers to ensure the safety and compliance of imported food, and to establish written procedures for evaluating the hazards and risks associated with each foreign supplier and imported food.
The importer will also be responsible for conducting supplier verification activities and the corrective actions of any non-conformance of these activities.
“Malaysian exporters must take note that the FSVP programmes are specific to each food and supplier. The importer will determine which supplier verification activities are appropriate based on the evaluation of the risk, which also includes audit of facilities,” said Matrade CEO Dr Mohd Shahreen Zainooreen Madros.
“Malaysian food exporters to the US and those seeking to enter the market should take necessary steps to ensure that their products meet all safety and compliance requirements. By doing this, it will not only provide a great advantage to them but it signals Malaysian exporters’ reliability in meeting global standards,” he said.
Malaysia’s exports of processed food to the US reached RM687 million (US$155.4 million) during the period between January and November 2016. The top products exported included cocoa and cocoa products, cereals, edible products, processed seafood, and prepared fruits and vegetables.
