FDA Delays Application Period for VQIP
The Food and Drug Administration will not begin accepting applications for the Voluntary Qualified Importer Program this month because more time is needed to certify foreign food facilities, said Amelia Tetterton, a consumer safety officer in the Import Program Development and Implementation Branch in FDA’s Office of Regulatory Affairs. Tetterton and Doriliz De Leon, a consumer safety officer in the Food Adulteration Assessment Branch in FDA’s Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, discussed the delay and VQIP processes in an interview posted on the agency's website. FDA previously said it planned to begin taking VQIP applications Jan. 1 (see 1611100028).
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The delay is necessary because "getting VQIP started is tied to implementation of the Accredited Third-Party Certification rule," Tetterton said. "The process by which auditors are accredited in that voluntary program is well under way, but more time is needed for facility certifications. Since the certifications supplied by these auditors are required for participation in VQIP, this meant a delay in the start of our program." The agency will try to "assess up to 200 applications in the first year," though that number could change depending on the "resources needed in initiating the program," De Leon said.
Tetterton also detailed the application review process. FDA will initially determine whether an applicant meets VQIP eligibility and then, if the importer is accepted, "the FDA will conduct an inspection to verify that the importer has met the eligibility criteria and has fully implemented the food safety and food defense provisions established in the" Quality Assurance Program. "Whether or not to participate in VQIP is really a business decision," De Leon said. "It takes resources to meet the criteria, but having the speed and predictability at import entry will be a real benefit. This will be particularly helpful for those importing perishable products or using 'just in time' processing, in which ingredients must be at a food facility at a certain time in the manufacturing process."