The FDA opened the Voluntary Qualified Importer Program (VQIP) application portal on Jan. 1, 2020, for the benefit period between Oct. 1, 2020, and Sept. 30, 2021.
The FDA has issued information and best practices for retail food stores, restaurants, and pick-up and delivery services during the pandemic to protect workers and customers.
Covantis, the industry initiative that aims to modernize global trade operations, has received all required regulatory approvals and has incorporated as a legal entity in Geneva, Switzerland, as Covantis SA. The company is co-owned by its founding members: ADM, Bunge, Cargill, Louis Dreyfus Company and Glencore Agriculture.
The FDA has been adding frequently asked questions along with answers to its Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition COVID-19 Updates section of its website as the COVID-19 pandemic unfolds.
According to a white paper published by the Institute of Food Technologists entitled "Food Research: Call to Action on Funding and Priorities," public spending on foundational research for both agriculture and food in the U.S. has been slowly trending downward since 2006 or so, while private R&D spending has seen a small increase.