About FDA

Description: Build and maintain a database of organizations in the Region with which the office will or have the potential to cooperate in achieving the FDA mission. Having ready access to key organizations and their top officials is vital to responding rapidly to foodborne outbreaks and recalled products, as well as establishing the basis for providing technical assistance and capacity building in the region.

Accomplishment: The Latin America Office has completed the repository of information for the top 20 countries in Latin America that export products to the U.S. that are regulated by the FDA. The documents include contact information of key individuals and governmental competent authorities in terms of the types and scope of products that the corresponding agencies regulate, information about each country’s major trade and industry associations, representatives of multinational organizations in each country as well as their profiles, and the capacity and importance of academic institutions. Each profile also contains the last three year’s data from FDA databases on the number of lines of products imported into the U.S., an analysis of detained and refused products, and a listing of the import alerts that affect that country. Having ready access to such key information is vital to the FDA when faced with food-borne outbreaks from a foreign source or other problems with products originating in Latin America. This information will be useful when considering approaches and partnerships for technical cooperation and capacity building.