- Today FDA announced fiscal year 2027 user fee rates for importers approved to participate in the Voluntary Qualified Importer Program (VQIP) and for accreditation and certification bodies interested in participating in the Accredited Third-Party Certification Program (TPP). The Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act authorizes FDA to assess and collect fees from participants in these programs to cover the costs of administration.
- VQIP expedites the review and import of human and animal food products for participating importers (e.g., through reduced examination and sampling). Participating importers must, among other requirements, have in place a plan to control the safety and security of the food they import (VQIP Quality Assurance Program) and a history of compliance. The detailed requirements for participating in the program can be found on FDA’s VQIP page.
- TPP is a voluntary program through which FDA recognizes “accreditation bodies” responsible for accrediting third party “certification bodies” which conduct food safety audits and issue certifications of foreign food facilities. Additional information can be found at FDA’s TPP page.
- The VQIP and TPP user fees can be found in pre-publication versions of the respective federal register notices, both of which are scheduled for publication on July 30, 2026 (VQIP user fees and TPP user fees).