US: FDA opens office in Latin America

8 January 2009 | Source: just-food.com

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) opened its first office in Latin America in Costa Rica yesterday (7 January), in a bid to improve the security of foods imported in to the US.

"The countries of Central America, along with Panamá and the Dominican Republic, create the third-largest US export market in Latin America, and, every year, the United States imports millions of dollars in goods from these important trade partners," Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Mike Leavitt said in a speech at the opening ceremony.

"An HHS/FDA presence in the region will improve collaboration, strengthen our partnership and hasten the flow of quality goods to our markets."

The FDA office Costa Rica is the first in a series of planed offices in the region, which will eventually include an HHS/FDA presence in South America and Mexico later in 2009.
 
The move is part of the US government's plan to establish a global presence in markets that export food to the US. It has already set up offices in the EU and China and announced plans to open facilities in India. 

HHS/FDA is also pursuing options to open a location in the Middle East, the US government revealed in a statement.