FDA Hopes to Ink Cooperation Deal With India on Food
The Food and Drug Administration aims to sign another agreement with India on food that is similar to the Feb. 11 agreement on cooperation in regulating drugs and cosmetics, said FDA Commissioner Margaret Hamburg on a conference call with reporters Feb. 21. During her recent trip to India, Hamburg met with officials from the Indian Ministry of Commerce and Industry about food exporting issues, and “had an understanding with our counterparts on the food side” to begin work on a memorandum of understanding on cooperation on food regulatory issues.
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Under the memorandum of understanding on drugs and cosmetics between FDA and the Indian Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, the two agencies will share information on noncompliant companies in each country (see 14022126). Each agency will also inform the other before undertaking inspection and allow their counterparts to join in as observers. “It’s my hope that we can work to craft a similar statement of intent or memorandum of understanding to enhance our level of cooperation with Indian regulators on food issues,” said Hamburg during the call.
Hamburg also said that she’s optimistic the agreement on drug and cosmetics regulatory cooperation will lead to bigger and better things. “The Drug Controller General [of India] certainly discussed with me his eagerness to work closely with us, and interest … in getting technical assistance and training opportunities,” as well as “the opportunity for some of his regulators to observe our inspectors while they are doing inspections,” said Hamburg. “Certainly, his mission statement mirrors ours, and he confessed to me that he has used our mission statement to shape his own. We have a set of common values and commitments.”