FDA rolls out computerized import regulatory system

FDA Commissioner Margaret Hamburg Thursday formally introduced the agency's new, computerized import regulatory system at a session held at the Center for Strategic and International Studies.

Imports are screened at random, but the new system would assign imports a number based on how risky they are based on factors such as history. Hamburg said FDA's import regulation needs to shift from a reactive approach to a more proactive one with 20 million shipments expected this year, compared to 6 million a decade ago.

Some question whether new regulatory fees will disproportionately affect smaller companies, but former HHS policy analyst Thomas Bollyky agreed with Hamburg that safety is worth it.

Bollyky said if unsafe products were discovered, that would be more detrimental to a business than a fee. Coca-Cola's senior director for food safety, Henry Chinh, represented business' viewpoints. Although Chinh declined to offer his opinion on user fees, he expressed a desire for cooperation with the FDA's goals.

"It will take time to harmonize standards, but I think we can all agree that's the way to go," he said.