FDA Opens Mexico City Office

WASHINGTONIn another step to boost food and product safety in the United States, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) opened its Mexico City post on Dec. 15. This marks the agencys third post in Latin America and 10^th international post to open in the past 13 months.

The opening of this office represents an important step as we redesign our product safety strategy. We, like our partners in the Mexican government, realize that prevention is the key. For example, more than a third of the fresh fruits and vegetables we eat come from Mexico as do a large amount of our medical devices. Having FDA experts located permanently there will be mutually beneficial to both our countries and respective citizens, said FDA Commissioner Margaret A. Hamburg.

Staff assigned to the FDAs Mexico City post will work with their counterparts in the Mexican government to harmonize regulations and guidance standards and to work on other collaborative initiatives. These collaborations will include, for example, information-sharing on the respective regulatory systems and joint workshops on the safety of food and medical products. Agencies in both governments also will make efforts to find opportunities for joint training on food-borne illnesses and the oversight of food traded internationally.