The Hindu Business Line : US Bio Terrorism Law — EAN unveils food traceability norms

A LARGE number of Indian food and marine exporters are "inadequately prepared" to meet the requirements of the US Bio Terrorism Law, according to Mr Ravi Mathur, CEO, EAN India.

EAN India is a non-profit organisation set up by the Commerce Ministry and industry bodies to promote global supply chain standards.

The US Bio-Terrorism law is expected to come into force from April 12. This law mandates prior registration of food suppliers with the US Food and Drug Administration (USFDA).

It also requires all foreign facilities that manufacture, process, pack or hold food for human or animal consumption in the US to create and maintain records that are necessary to identify the immediate previous source and the immediate subsequent recipients of food i.e., where it came from and where it went.

To enable food exporters comply with this traceability requirement, EAN India has brought out its traceability guidelines in different food segments covering meat, fresh fruits and vegetables and marine products.

"I do not believe there may be very many Indian food and marine exporters who have registered. A lot many of them also need to tweak their systems on traceability," Mr Mathur told Business Line.

The US Bio-Terrorism law is meant to enable the USFDA to follow up on credible threats of serious illness or death to humans or animals by tracing the food back to its source and tracing the food forwards to all recipients to remove it from commerce, if necessary.

In case the requirements of the US Bio-Terrorism law are not fulfilled, the goods can be held within the port of entry.

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