The Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) gave the U.S. Food and Drug Administration new powers to ensure that imported food meets U.S. standards. This case study used interviews with Mexican horticultural growers focused on the export market to explore how their industry responded to FSMA’s new requirements. Half of the 26 companies interviewed identified training the head of the firm’s food safety program as the main challenge. Medium-to-large companies (300–1,000 seasonal workers) were more likely to have modified their food safety activities and hold 3 or more food safety certifications—facilitating the sector’s growing presence in the U.S. market.
Details
Title
How Mexico’s Horticultural Export Sector Responded to the Food Safety Modernization Act
Record Identifier
https://ageconsearch.umn.edu/record/338954
Language
English
Total Pages
41
Note
A case study approach was used to examine how Mexican horticultural growers focused on the export market responded to the implementation of FSMA and why they were able to respond in that fashion. The researchers conducted a series of interviews from March 2018 to March 2020 with representatives of 26 produce firms that export 1 or more of 4 major produce commodities to the United States—tomatoes, strawberries, green onions, and cantaloupe. The researchers focused on these commodities because prior to FSMA, Mexican exports of each of these products had been associated with outbreaks of foodborne illness in the United States. The companies studied are in seven Mexican States that are among Mexico’s main horticultural exporting States. Findings from these interviews are presented using summary statistics and qualitative assessments of interview data.
