Reducing Food Safety Risks for US Imports

Over the past decade, food imports have increased in both volume and importance, reshaping the U.S. food supply and food safety oversight. Imported foods now account for roughly 17 percent of U.S. consumption, up from about 13–14 percent a decade ago, driven by globalization, consumer demand, and year-round product availability. While recent and proposed tariff measures may introduce short-term volatility in prices and sourcing for some food categories, they have not reversed the overall reliance on imported foods and are more likely to influence the composition and cost of imports than their long-term role in the U.S. food supply. 

This shift has brought clear benefits to consumers — greater choice, lower prices, and access to foods that cannot be produced domestically at scale. At the same time, it has introduced new food safety and regulatory challenges that are fundamentally different from those associated with domestically produced foods. 

What the U.S. Imports — and From Where 

The majority of foods imported into the United States fall into several broad categories: 

• Fresh fruits and vegetables, particularly items grown seasonally or year-round in warmer climates 

• Seafood, including fish and shellfish products 

• Processed and packaged foods, such as baked goods, sauces, and specialty products 

• Tropical commodities, including coffee, cocoa, spices, and sugar 

Key exporting countries include Mexico and Canada, which together represent the largest share of U.S. food imports by value, followed by suppliers in Latin America, Asia, and the European Union. A significant portion of these imports originate from countries often described as emerging or transitioning economies — nations that are increasingly integrated into global trade but whose regulatory systems and enforcement capacity may still be developing. 

International organizations such as the World Bank generally describe emerging economies as countries moving toward middle-income status, with expanding industrial and export capacity but without the full institutional maturity of advanced economies. In the context of food safety, this distinction matters because regulatory frameworks, inspection capacity, and enforcement consistency can vary widely across exporting countries. 

What This Means for U.S. Consumers 

For U.S. consumers, the implication is not that imported foods are inherently unsafe. The vast majority of imported foods enter the U.S. market without incident. However, as supply chains become longer and more complex, preventing food safety failures becomes more difficult, particularly when production occurs thousands of miles away under different regulatory systems. 

Outbreak investigations and border surveillance data consistently show that certain imported foods — particularly fresh produce, seafood, and spices — are disproportionately represented in recalls, import refusals, and foodborne illness outbreaks. These risks are amplified when preventive controls are inconsistent, documentation is incomplete, or traceability is limited. 

As a result, ensuring the safety of imported foods increasingly depends not on inspection at the border, but on robust, preventive systems implemented well before products ever reach U.S. ports of entry. 

How the United States Manages Import Food Safety Risk 

Responsibility for overseeing the safety of imported foods lies primarily with the Food and Drug Administration(FDA), which regulates approximately 80 percent of the U.S. food supply, including all foods other than meat, poultry, and certain egg products. Those products are regulated by the US Department of Agriculture, through its Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS). 

Given the sheer volume of imported food — millions of shipments annually — the U.S. does not rely on routine physical inspection of imports. Instead, regulators employ a risk-based, layered system of oversight that includes: 

• Importer accountability 

• Foreign supplier verification 

• Risk-based screening at ports of entry 

• Targeted sampling and testing 

• Import alerts and detention without physical examination 

• Foreign facility inspections 

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This approach was formalized and strengthened by the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA), which marked a fundamental shift in U.S. food safety policy from reacting to contamination to preventing hazards before they occur. 

What U.S. Regulators Expect from Overseas Exporters 

Under FSMA, U.S. importers are legally responsible for verifying that the foods they import are produced in compliance with U.S. safety standards. This responsibility is implemented through the Foreign Supplier Verification Program (FSVP), which effectively extends U.S. food safety expectations across borders. 

As a result, overseas food producers and processors seeking access to the U.S. market are expected to demonstrate that they: 

• Have conducted hazard analyses addressing biological, chemical, and physical risks 

• Implement preventive controls appropriate to their products and processes 

• Maintain documented food safety plans and records 

• Can provide traceability and supply-chain transparency 

• Are prepared for importer audits, verification activities, and FDA inspections, including inspections conducted overseas 

  
  

Failure to meet these expectations can result in shipment delays, refusals, or placement on FDA import alert — outcomes that can quickly disrupt market access and damage commercial relationships. 

Bridging the Compliance Gap: The Role of Food Enterprise Solutions 

For many overseas exporters, particularly small and mid-sized companies in emerging economies, meeting U.S. regulatory expectations is less about technical capability and more about alignment and readiness. Food safety systems may exist, but they are not always structured, documented, or communicated in ways that satisfy U.S. importer and regulator requirements. 

Food Enterprise Solutions (FES) was established to address this gap. FES provides food safety training and certification-readiness services tailored specifically to overseas companies exporting to the U.S. market, helping them translate complex regulatory requirements into practical, implementable systems. 

Rather than treating compliance as a one-time certification exercise, FES focuses on building sustained readiness — ensuring that exporters understand not only what standards apply, but how those standards are evaluated by U.S. importers and regulators over time. Through targeted training, system development, and audit preparation, FES helps exporters strengthen preventive controls, improve documentation and traceability, and prepare for ongoing verification under FSMA. 

By supporting exporter readiness, FES helps reduce compliance risk across the supply chain — protecting U.S. consumers, supporting importer confidence, and enabling responsible exporters to access and compete in one of the world’s most demanding food markets. 

For more information, contact us at info@foodsolutions.global

Infographic: Julie Peasley 

References & Further Reading 

• U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) Overview. 

• FDA. Foreign Supplier Verification Programs (FSVP) for Importers of Food for Humans and Animals. 

• U.S. Department of Agriculture, Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS). Importing Meat, Poultry, and Egg Products into the United States. 

• Government Accountability Office (GAO). Food Safety: FDA Should Strengthen Oversight of Imported Foods. 

• World Bank. Emerging Markets and Developing Economies Classification. 

• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Surveillance for Foodborne Disease Outbreaks.