News

AIB Celebrates 20th Anniversary of International Service
January marked the 20th anniversary of AIB International’s office debut in Europe. In the past two decades, AIB’s global network has expanded from its headquarters in North America to include regional offices in Europe, Latin America, and Asia Pacific.

In the late 80s, AIB began sending U.S.-based auditors to Europe to inspect bakeries and other facilities related to U.S. food producers. This work continued to grow with the addition of inspections for Dalgety, a major British food enterprise. Due to the increase in inspections related to Dalgety, U.S.-based auditors were being sent overseas on a rotational basis for three to four weeks at a time. In 1992, the demand had grown enough that plans to establish a European-based AIB office were put in place. In January 1993, Betsy Blair, now Head of GMP Audit Services, opened the AIB Europe office in a space leased from Leatherhead Food International.

Although AIB began working overseas at the request of Dalgety, it wasn’t long before large U.S.-based companies began using AIB to inspect their global suppliers. Today AIB has expanded its services to include certification audits under the Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI), annual public food safety and food defense seminars, as well as private training and consulting to large- and small-sized food companies in countries across six continents. The AIB Europe office now serves many more suppliers, as well as small, local companies. As business in the Middle East and Eastern Europe continues to grow, AIB is expanding its territory to include more Russian-based companies.

FDA Recognizes New Zealand as Having a Comparable Food Safety System
In December, 2012, FDA and New Zealand’s Ministry for Primary Industries signed an arrangement recognizing each other’s food safety systems as comparable to each other. This leads the way to a new level of regulatory cooperation to enhance food safety while facilitating trade between the two countries. This is the first time that FDA has recognized a foreign food safety system as comparable.

Systems recognition, previously referred to as comparability, involves reviewing a foreign country’s food safety regulatory system to determine if it provides a similar set of protections to that of FDA. Outcomes of these reviews may be used by FDA to make risk-based decisions regarding foreign inspections, admitting product into the U.S. and follow-up actions when food safety incidents occur. FDA, working with New Zealand, pilot tested a systems-recognition process using the draft International Comparability Assessment Tool (ICAT). The process includes a comprehensive review of the country’s relevant laws and regulations, inspection programs, response to food-related illness and outbreaks, compliance and enforcement, and laboratory support.

Systems recognition is voluntary and not required in order for a country to export foods to the U.S. Any country can request a systems-recognition determination. FDA is currently conducting a pilot systems-recognition process with Canada.

FDA plans to publish a guidance document next year and ask for input on its systems-recognition process.