A delegation of Chinese Food and Drug officials from the Hubei Province participated in a training event in Chantilly, Vir. last week. The event addressed the legal requirements for regulating and importing food and drugs into the U.S. with a focus on Chinese products and the FDA Food Safety Modernization Act. FDAImports.com and ExportToUsa.com.cn Founder and CEO Benjamin England and Principal Rick Quinn presented to the delegation.
“From the questions [the delegation] asked, it was clear to me that they are committed to continue improving the safety and quality of Chinese food and drug manufacturing," England said, adding, "The new FSMA requirements are actually quite similar to China’s own new food safety legislation – so they are already steps ahead of other countries.”
England and Quinn were aided by Shelly Li, regulatory specialist from the Chinese office of FDAImports.com (ExportToUsa.com.cn) and John Wu, former Chinese business executive. Presentations addressed key strategic regulatory areas for food and drug imports including:
- Food Law & Importing
- Drug Importation Guidelines
- The Food Safety Modernization Act
- Labeling Issues
The team also addressed specific questions from the delegation covering topics such as drug policy, the differences between the U.S. and Chinese FDA, inter-agency conflicts, registrations and FDA infrastructure. In addition, Alex Lin and Sarah Chang from the Global Food Safety Forum (GFSF) presented on the opportunities and challenges related to food safety and the benefits of GFSF membership.
The Hubei Food and Drug Administration delegation consisted of 25 officials from the Hubei Province located in Central Eastern China who are currently on a stateside training tour along with the U.S.-China Business Training Center. Established in 1992 and located in Los Angeles, CA, the U.S.-China Business Training Center provides certified professional training programs for Chinese officials, industry professionals and business executives.