FDA Eases Third-Party Food Inspection Certification Regs During COVID-19

During the COVID-19 public health emergency, FDA will not require third-party certification bodies, which conduct foreign food facility inspections, to be audited in person, and the agency will allow certain certifications to extend beyond their original expiration date. Due to travel restrictions, onsite audits and other activities that are required to maintain certification may be impossible, and the increased flexibility will allow for already-issued certifications to stay in place, the agency says. Under the agency’s Accredited Third-Party Certification Program, accreditation...