G/SPS/N/USA/2570/Add.4  
 
16 November 2015  
(15-6049)  Page: 1/2  
Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures  Original: English  
 
  NOTIFICATION 
Addendum 
The following communication, received on 16 November 2015, is being circulated at the request of 
the Delegation of the United States of America. 
 
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 Accreditation of Third-Party Certification Bodies to Conduct Food Safety Audits and to Issue 
Certifications; Final Rule 
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is adopti ng regulations to provide for accreditation of 
third-party certification bodies to conduct food safety audits of foreign food entities, including registered foreign food facilities, and to issue food and facility certifications, under the FDA Food 
Safety Modernization Act (FSMA). These certifications will be required for participation in the 
voluntary qualified importer program (VQIP) established under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FD&C Act). In addition, when FDA ha s determined that an imported food is subject 
to certification under FSMA, FDA may require a certification under this rule as a condition for 
admitting the food into the United States. FDA al so expects that these regulations will increase 
efficiency by reducing the number of redundant food safety audits. 
The text of the final rule can be found on the US Federal Register website at: 
https://federalregister.gov/a/2015-28160 . 
http://members.wto.org/crnattachments/2015/SPS/USA/15_4584_00_e.pdf  
This addendum concerns a: 
[ ] Modification of final date for comments 
[X] Notification of adoption, publication or entry into force of regulation 
[ ] Modification of content and/or scope of  previously notified draft regulation 
[ ] Withdrawal of proposed regulation 
[ ] Change in proposed date of adoption, publication or date of entry into force 
[ ] Other:   
Comment period: (If the addendum extends the scope of the previously notified 
measure in terms of products and/or potent ially affected Members, a new deadline for 
receipt of comments should be provided, norm ally of at least 60 calendar days. Under 
other circumstances, such as extension of or iginally announced final date for comments, 
the comment period provided in the addendum may vary.)  
[ ] Sixty days from the date of circulation of the addendum to the notification and/or 
(dd/mm/yy) : Not applicable. This is a final rule. G/SPS/N/USA/2570/Add.4 
 
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  Agency or authority designated to handle co mments: [ ] National Notification Authority, 
[ ] National Enquiry Point. Address, fax nu mber and e-mail address (if available) of 
other body: 
For further information contact: Charlotte A. Christin, Office of Foods and Veterinary Medicine, 
Food and Drug Administration, 10903 New Hampshire Ave., Silver Spring, MD 20993, 301 796 
7526  
Text(s) available from: [X] National Notificati on Authority, [ ] National Enquiry Point. 
Address, fax number and e-mail addre ss (if available) of other body: 
United States SPS National Notification Authority, USDA Foreign Agricultural Service, International 
Regulations and Standards Division (IRSD), Stop 1014, Washington D.C. 20250; Tel: +(1 202) 720 1301; Fax: +(1 202) 720 0433; E-mail: us.spsenquirypoint@fas.usda.gov 
Text can also be found on the US Federal Register website at: https://federalregister.gov/a/2015-
28160 . 
 
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