What is the FDA?
“FDA” is an acronym for the Food and Drug Administration. The role of the FDA is to protect public safety by regulating food and drug products and giving their stamp of approval to those that pass their qualification tests, signaling to Americans that a given product is safe for consumption. The FDA regulates both domestic and international products to ensure maximum public safety, meaning imports are subject to regulation.
What Products Does the FDA Regulate?
The FDA is responsible for regulation a wide variety of products such as (but not limited to) general food products, dietary supplements, vaccines both human and veterinary drugs, medical devices, biological products, cosmetics, and tobacco products. Because this list includes such a wide variety of products that are made around the world, FDA regulation should be top of mind for many business owners and shipment managers. Many of the products listed are produced in other countries for consumption in the United States due to lower labor and production costs, which means they must go through regulation upon the importing process.
Food Products Regulated by the FDA
There are countless categories of food items that are included under the FDA’s jurisdiction but the best rule of thumb is that a product will be regulated if it will be consumed by Americans. This list includes your everyday food items (though the U.S. Department of Agriculture is the leader in regulation of many aspects of meat, poultry and egg regulation), bottled water, food additives such as MSG, food coloring and high-fructose corn syrup, infant formula and dietary supplements.
Drug Products Regulated by the FDA
The FDA plays a leading role in making sure that drug products are safe for consumers in the United States. This includes both prescription medications and non-prescription or over-the-counter drugs.
Medical Devices and Biologics Regulated by the FDA
There are a great amount of medical devices and biologics regulated by the FDA, most of which are produced outside of the United States and need to be imported. Some of the most common are vaccinations, tissue products, allergenics, blood products, cellular and gene therapy products, everyday medical items such as tongue depressors and bedpans, pacemakers and surgical implants.
How to Import Products that Need to be Regulated
Importing FDA-regulated goods into the United States is a complicated process but it doesn’t have to be for you. By working with an experienced logistics manager and importer, you can trust that the details of your import will be handled with minimal effort from you and your team. At LogiWorld, we’ve been helping customers with imports for over two decades so we know exactly how to make your import go smoothly. Contact us today for a free quote on importing your goods!