On October 19, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued two draft guidance documents to help farmers and fresh-cut produce processors better understand what they need to do to meet requirements established by the FDA Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA).
The first draft guidance is a compliance and implementation guide to assist growers with meeting the requirements of the Produce Safety Rule under FSMA. To further assist farmers and other stakeholders, FDA has also published At-A-Glance overviews that highlight the key points in each chapter in the draft guidance.
The second draft guidance issued today, Guide to Minimize Food Safety Hazards of Fresh-cut Produce, explains the FDA’s current thinking on how fresh-cut produce processors, such as those that prepare bagged salad mixes and fruit salad, may comply with the requirements found in the Preventive Controls for Human Food Rule under FSMA.
Both draft guidance documents will be open for public comment for 180 days. The FDA has also committed to holding four public meetings around the country at which the agency will have an opportunity to engage with stakeholders on the Produce Safety Rule draft guidance. The dates and locations of these meetings will be announced soon via a notice in the Federal Register.
Direct flights to facilitate increased AGOA exports to the U.S. The USAID Hub sponsored the U.S-Africa Trade Promotion Event organized by the Export Promotion Council in Nairobi to mark the launch of direct flights between Nairobi and New York and raise awareness of business opportunities in the U.S. for Kenyan exporters that will result from improvements in trade logistics.
“We are committed to grow our investments and trade between Kenya and the USA. The Kenya Airways direct flight is one such example. Kenyan businesses need to innovate and dare to be great,” said U.S Ambassador to Kenya Robert Godec. The direct flights will enable greater exchanges between Kenya and U.S. by removing two barriers that have hindered Kenya’s competitiveness in the U.S. market: high cargo freight costs and extended delivery times. This will facilitate trade and investment and bring people, businesses and governments closer together for deeper relations and shared benefits.
In 2017, Kenya and the U.S. traded over $1 billion in goods, making Kenya the largest U.S. trading partner in East Africa. The top U.S. imports were woven apparel and knit apparel, both of which gained significant competitive advantages through the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA). In fact, over 70 percent of Kenyan exports to the U.S. entered under AGOA. The direct flights are expected to create opportunities for several sectors, including those highlighted in Kenya’s National AGOA Strategy and Action Plan, 2018-2023, which aims to double the value of Kenyan exports to the U.S. by 2023.
“We need to realize that we have a huge market opportunity in the USA. Let’s work to meet the requirements of this market. Knowledge and compliance are paramount,” said Export Promotion Council Chairman, Jas Bedi.
The USAID Hub supports Kenyan firms to access the U.S. market, especially though AGOA. The Hub provides firm-level technical assistance to help firms meet U.S. market requirements, such as Worldwide Responsible Accredited Production (WRAP) and Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP) certification, and facilitates linkages with U.S. businesses through trade shows and buyer missions. The Hub also produced an AGOA 101 Guide that provides a step-by-step process on how to leverage AGOA’s dutyfree access to the U.S.
“The U.S. market and AGOA provide good opportunities to attract investors to strengthen market linkages, transfer technology and provide capital and know-how to Kenya,” said Kenya Private Sector Alliance Chief Executive Officer Carole Kariuki.
