Food safety authorities in Mexico and the US have agreed to boost cooperation between the two countries.
Mexico’s National Service of Health, Safety and Agri-Food Quality (Senasica) and National Association of Self-Service and Departmental Stores (Antad) and the US Food Marketing Institute (FMI) have signed a declaration of intent to build an alliance that will identify key areas where collaboration should be strengthened.
They will draft in producers and marketers of both nations to help consumers obtain greater guarantees on safety by reinforcing preventative practices in the production of fresh and minimally processed fruits and vegetables, according to the Secretary of Agriculture, José Calzada Rovirosa.
The agreement includes training producers on the implementation, certification and continuous verification of the safety schemes promoted by Senasica in order to boost the competitiveness of both sectors.
The agreement will allow suppliers of stores affiliated to the FMI and Antad to improve compliance with standards, guidelines and safety practices, as established by the current regulations on agri-food issues.
Antad has 5,410 affiliated self-service stores, along with 2,307 department stores and 43,992 specialist outlets.
