Matrade urges Malaysian firms to familiarise with new US food safety regulation

In a statement here today, Matrade said, the new rule required companies within the country and abroad to take steps to prevent intentional adulteration of the food supply.

It said the new rule was the seventh and final major rule under the FDA Food Safety Modernisation Act aimed at improving mitigation strategies (risk-reducing) to further protect the food supply.

"Under the new rule, both domestic and foreign food facilities are required to complete and maintain a written food defence plan that evaluates the potential vulnerabilities to deliberate contamination that can cause wide-scale public health harm," said Matrade.

Matrade's New York's Trade Commissioner, Muhd Shahrulmiza Zakaria, said Malaysian exporters of processed food and beverages to the US should make necessary changes to their standard operating procedures of food defence plan.

"These include alleviation of strategies, identifying relevant personnel in charge, if a crisis takes place, and to prepare any related documentation," he said.

Muhd Shahrulmiza said food manufacturers were required to comply with the new regulation within three to five years after publication of the final rule, depending on the size of their business.

"Malaysian companies that require more guidance on this new rule can contact Matrade’s New York office by emailing us at [email protected]," he said.

In 2015, the US was Malaysia’s third largest trading partner with the total trade valued at RM129 billion.

In the same year, Malaysia exported RM816.3 million worth of processed food to the US.