FDA IMPROVES COMMUNICATIONS WITH CUSTOMS CONCERNING PENALTIES

FDA IMPROVES COMMUNICATIONS WITH CUSTOMS CONCERNING PENALTIES    The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Food and Drug Administration has released new procedures to communicate with Customs on civil penalty issues regarding imported foods.
   The procedures were issued to the FDA’s field offices in the form of a subchapter of its Regulatory Procedures Manual, titled “Communication Concerning Assessment of Civil Monetary Penalties by U.S. Customs Service in Cases Involving Imported Food.”
   On July 3, 1999, President Clinton announced an initiative to target importers who try to sneak unsafe food into the country. He directed the Secretaries of Health and Human Services and Treasury to create procedures to meet this initiative.
   Health and Human Services and Treasury responded to the directive on Dec. 11, 1999, by outlining an enforcement plan to stop unsafe food imports. An element of the plan was to have Customs assess civil penalties in cooperation with FDA.
   For a copy of the penalties subchapter, check the FDA's Web site: https://www.fda.gov/ora.