The FDA and two Mexican regulatory agencies, the National Service of Agro-Alimentary Public Health Safety and Quality (SENASICA) and the Federal Commission for the Protection from Sanitary Risks (COFEPRIS), have signed a statement of intent (SOI) that strengthens and expands upon their 2014 Produce SOI.

The most recent SOI broadens the scope of the partnership to cover all foods that are traded between the U.S. and Mexico. Furthermore, it encourages the development and use of new technologies to prevent and respond to foodborne illness outbreaks and also encourages collaboration with other governmental agencies and non-governmental entities including industry, consumer groups, and academia.

This partnership, including its emphasis on the development new technologies, is an important step in furthering the goals laid out this past summer by the FDA in their New Era of Smarter Food Safety Blueprint. And, it is an impactful one for U.S. consumers, as approximately one third of all food and sixty percent of produce in the U.S. is imported from Mexico.