VQIP – An Expedited FDA Food Import Release Program

Would your company be interested in a new US government program to allow a “fast track” approach for passing food through FDA’s import process and possibly US Customs and Border Protection system? Think such a program does not exist? Think again. The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA)’s Voluntary Qualified Importer Program (VQIP) guidance was published on November 30, 2016. It is a voluntary “pay to play” program whereby importers exporting human and animal foods, from a foreign supplier, into the US may receive expedited review and entry of their products based on documented safety records of their foreign suppliers and an unblemished history of imports. Join your colleagues for an EAS Consulting Group-sponsored webinar on VQIP. Speak with former director of the FDA’s Division of Import Operations and EAS Independent Advisor for Import Operations, Mr. Veneziano, who orchestrated the design and implementation of the expedited program.

Though voluntary, FDA opened the application processing in January 2018, with the program launch scheduled for October 1, 2018. FDA will use its Predictive Risk-based Evaluation for Dynamic Import Compliance Targeting (PREDICT) import screening tool to recognize shipments of food that are part of an approved VQIP application. The technical application requirements to achieve VQIP status can be time-consuming and complicated, but with the end result of a smoother facilitation of imports with many firms finding it beneficial to their operations and their customers in the US.

Join EAS Independent Advisor for Import Operations and Former Director of Import Operations at the Food and Drug Administration, Domenic Veneziano for a detailed overview on the requirements of VQIP, how to determine if your firm might qualify and benefit as well as insights into how to properly complete and file VQIP applications with FDA.