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Biosecurity News in Brief
FDA Opening Offices Overseas to Address Food and Drug SafetyBy Kunal Rambhia, October 20, 2008 On October 16, 2008, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced plans to send U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) staff to new offices in China, India, Europe, and Latin America as part of efforts to “enhance the safety of imported food and medical products.”1 The U.S. government has received approval from China’s government to establish FDA offices in Beijing, Shanghai, and Guangzhou; formal approval to establish offices in India is currently pending. The plans will allow for 8 FDA officials in China and 10 in India to work with local officials to ensure safety of food and medical products that are exported to the U.S. by offering technical advice, conducting additional inspections, and helping to develop government certification programs for private sector institutions. Additional offices will be opened in Europe, Latin America, and the Middle East. At least one office will be opened in each region by 2008 and all will be established by mid-2009. HHS also announced that the department has almost completed Memoranda of Understanding (MOU’s) with nine Latin American countries to allow for collaborative work on product safety—including information sharing about regulatory systems and joint workshops and training for oversight of safety of internationally traded food. References
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