The FDA released its annual Inspection Observation Data (raw data can be found here) for Fiscal Year (FY) 2020, and once again the data shows an increase year-by-year since 2017 of violations on the Foreign Supplier Verification Programs (FSVPs). The FDA began tracking FSVP violations in 2017, and the total number of violations in FY2017 was 108. In FY2020, the number had increased to 514 as reported by Registrar Corp, which has sorted out the data contained in the FDA’s Excel data file.
Under the FSMA, FDA requires most food importers to develop and maintain foreign supplier verification programs for their suppliers. The requirement helps ensure that suppliers remain compliant and are making products in a safe manner.