|
US to implement new predictive risk-based import evaluation |
|
Monday, 09 May 2011 |
|
The United States Food and Drug Administration (USFDA) is set to adopt a predictive risk-based evaluation for dynamic import compliance targeting (PREDICT) before the end of 2011.
This was conveyed in a letter from the Embassy of the Philippines in Washington, D.C. to the International Trade Group of the Department of Trade and Industry.
This new automated Customs entry review system is designed to use the FDA-developed criteria for identifying arriving shipments of imports that pose the greatest risk of non-compliance with food safety laws and regulations, and those that pose the lowest risk.
Under this system, FDA investigators will have better intelligence available to decide which import shipments to examine, allowing them to physically examine only a small percentage of all import shipments.
Based on certain relevant criteria, PREDICT generates a numerical score for all FDA-regulated imports.
These criteria include the product's historical data, importer, manufacturer, and country of origin.
Results of laboratory analyses and foreign facility inspections and general intelligence on recent events, such as natural disasters and foreign recalls are also among the criteria.
As explained in the letter, PREDICT estimates the risk intrinsic to each and every shipment, and notifies the entry reviewer if the score that is returned by the system is above an FDA-specified threshold and should be targeted for examination.
Shipments that are below the threshold receive a 'may proceed' message, unless other conditions are present that require their further examination or detention.
This new automated system will replace the outdated electronic screening function of OASIS - the Operational and Administrative System for Import Support - which has "numerous documented vulnerabilities.
PREDICT was supposed to have been deployed on a District by District basis starting April 2009 after a pilot test was conducted in several ports of Los Angeles in June-September 2007.
Due to technical glitches, however, PREDICT has been deployed in only four of the 20 FDA Districts, namely, Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco and Seattle. These four districts handle about 40% of FDA regulated imports.
The system is expected be fully implemented by the end of 2011. -- Ritchelle Alburo, PHILEXPORT News and Features
|
