Some of the requirements for companies exporting food from Guatemala are that exporters guarantee good sanitary practices and that in case of an outbreak of covid-19 they notify their buyers and separate infected collaborators.
Safety and health protocols have taken off in this new trade scenario, which emerged suddenly due to the spread of covid-19 around the world.
Adapt the country's sanitary norms to international standards and unify food import and export systems is part of the plan proposed by the Varela administration.
In order to take advantage of commercial agreements and increase exports to the European and North American markets, the government is working to consolidate its health systems.
The Panamanian Association of Exporters (Apex) CEO, Rosmer Jurado, said to Elcapitalfinanciero.com that "… the government's decision to initiate the process of unification and modernization of the country's health system is key to ensure that importers and exporters fulfill the same standards, so that consumers are assured that imported products meet the same quality requirements as domestic production, ensuring their safety."
On February 28, a free seminar on the safety regulations that Canadian authorities require to market food will be held in Guatemala City.
From a statement issued by Agexport:
The Business Intelligence Unit at the Market Development and Commercial Promotion Department of AGEXPORT and the Embassy of Canada in Guatemala are calling on exporters who have experience in exporting food to the Canadian market.
Problems related to health and safety come top the list of reasons why shipments of Guatemalan products are rejected in the US and Europe.
Pesticides, labeling, salmonella, processing, lack of information, products, lack of list of ingredients, aflatoxins and mislabelling, are in order the main causes of rejection by the FDA in the US.
It will regulate the practices to be implemented in the product cycle from plant origin to the final destination and vice versa along the entire chain.
From a statement issued by the National Assembly of Panama:
The State is responsible for ensuring the safety of plant foods which are produced and consumed in the country, as established by Bill No.299, which created the Best Practices and Agricultural Traceability Program (BPTA by its initials in Spanish) approved in a third debate today by the full legislature.
The high demands for quality standards, traceability and safety constitute a barrier to making the most out of the Agreement.
In the view of representatives from the Nicaraguan export sector, it has not been possible to make the most out of the association agreement with the European Union in its first two years, due to, among other things, unfavorable international prices, as has been the case of products such as sugar, coffee , cocoa, oil and alcohol.
The new version is optionally immediately applicable together with the current Version 4 and will be mandatory for all new and rectified audits from July 1, 2016.
From a statement issued by the Costa Rican Foreign Trade Promotion Office :
The GLOBALG.AP Board recently announced the introduction of an update to version 5 of its food safety standard Integrated Farm Assurance (IFA) for crops and aquaculture.
Fruits and vegetables, followed by baby food, milk and soy milk are the organic products in demand.
From a statement issued by the Foreign Trade Promotion Office of Costa Rica (PROCOMER):
Given the continuing concern about food safety, consumers in Hong Kong are seeking safer and high quality options such as those that can be found in the organic sector, since they are perceived as being more natural and nutritious compared to conventional foods.
With the Global GAP certification that they hope to obtain this year, with 12,000 hectares of crops Mexico projects that it will increase its fruit exports to the US market.
From a press release issued by the Costa Rican Foreign Trade Promotion Office (Procomer) :
Mexico to increase mango exports
54% of the 135,000 tonnes of mango estimated to be produced in 2015 in Michoacán (about 73,000 tons) will be for export.
Poultry producers are awaiting the arrival in September of safety inspectors from the USA to complete the process and obtain a final certification to export chicken meat.
The food safety and security certification process needed to obtain the sanitary permit to export chicken meat to the United States is nearing completion for the poultry industry in Honduras.
A series of new rules proposed by the FDA are in public consultation with the aim of improving practices in sanitary food transportation and avoiding tampering.
From a press release by the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture:
Two new proposals by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) would force food producers and importers in the country to improve the practices of sanitary transportation of food and implement actions to prevent intentional adulteration. "
The U.S. FDA has extended, until January 27 2014, the period for comment on new regulations for foreign suppliers and external auditors.
From an article by the Costa Rican Foreign Trade Promotion Office (PROCOMER):
The Food and Drug Administration ((FDA) has extended the comment period on the programs 'Verification for Foreign Suppliers for Importers of Food for People and Animals and Accreditation of External Auditors' until January 27, 2014.
In order to export food to the EU companies must establish efficient processes for traceability, product withdrawal and recovery.
This was explained Valentin Diaz, a specialist from the European Union in Nicaragua who gave a workshop entitled "Trainer of trainers in traceability, withdrawal and recall of products, aimed at the food industry."
Two new programs propose verification regulations on foreign suppliers for importers of food used for human and animal consumption.
The new rules proposed by the Bureau of Food and Drug Administration of the United States (FDA), is in the process of public review and comment for a period of 120 days.
The first set of rules "... would require U.S. importers to verify that their suppliers produce foods that meet U.S.
The training will support producers of food and beverages so that they can comply with the Food and Drug Administration's Modernization Act for Food Safety.
From a press release by the Ministry of Economy of El Salvador:
The National Quality Council, through the Salvadoran Agency for Standardization (OSN), the Agency for Promotion of Exports and Investments of El Salvador (PROESA) and the Corporation of Exporters of El Salvador (COEXPORT) are promoting the program "EXPORT QUALITY" inaugurated by the President of the National Quality Council and Minister of Economy, Armando Flores, on July 24, 2013. This program aims to strengthen companies who produce food and drink so that they are able to comply with the Modernization Act for Safety Food, of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).