Canadian Food Inspection Agency's On-site Assessment Report of Mexico's Food Safety Control System for Fresh Fruit and Vegetables – 2017
5. Government authorities, roles and responsibilities
The Federal Plant Health Law of Mexico provides the regulatory authority and jurisdiction for the CRRS (Articles 1, 2, 3, 7-A, 47-A to 47-J, see Appendix B). Under this law, the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Rural Development, Fisheries and Food (SAGARPA) has the authority to:
- establish measures for the risk reduction of contamination in the primary production of vegetables, necessary to minimize the presence of physical, chemical, and microbiological contamination determined through an hazard analysis
- issue Official Standards, other legal provisions related to the CRRS, and technical documents based on Good Agriculture Practices (GAPs)
- carry out evaluations, verifications, audit and certifications of farms, packing houses, places, establishments or facilities related to primary production. Such evaluations or audits could be carried out with the initiative of the Ministry of Agriculture or by an individual or legal entity request
- organize and operate the certification, inspection and monitoring of the primary production processes of the plants, where GAPs are applied
- recognize third party professionals and specialists in order to help the Ministry in the implementation and surveillance of the compliance of GAPs in the farms
- approve, with prior accreditation and under specific topics, to individual and legal entities for operating as: certification bodies, verification units or laboratories
5.1 Roles and responsibilities
SENASICA's General Directorate for Agri-food Safety, Aquaculture and Fisheries is responsible for the implementation and oversight of the CRRS. The program is delivered by a section of the General Directorate for Agri-food Safety, Aquaculture and Fisheries called the Directorate of Agri-Food Safety, Organic Operation and Pesticides for Agricultural Use (DIAOOPA).
The DIAOOPA is comprised of 5 offices with defined roles and responsibilities for the implementation of the CRRS (see Appendix A). These are the offices of:
- Certification and Recognition
- Federal Verification and Inspection
- Authorization and Approval of Individual and Legal Entities
- Food Safety Programs, Regulatory and International Affairs
- Monitoring and Surveillance of Contaminants and Toxic Waste
The responsibilities of these offices are:
Certification and Recognition Office of DIAOOPA (CRO)
- Verify corrective actions (CAs) submitted by operators and TPSs as part of the recognition process under the CRRS (both initial and ongoing)
- Asses audit reports prepared by TPSs on the implementation of the requirements of the CRRS
- Issue letters of recognition to operators who successfully implement the CRRS
- Suspend or revoke certificates of recognition and issue administrative monetary penalties for the violation of the provisions of this act
Federal Verification and Inspection Office of DIAOOPA
- Plan and execute the National Inspection Program of individual and legal entities, farms, and areas recognized for implementing the CRRS in agro-alimentary products, livestock, fisheries, organic production and the commercial houses that sell pesticides
Authorization and Approval of Individual and Legal Entities Office of DIAOOPA (AAO)
- Authorize individuals and legal entities who are interested in serving as third parties in the evaluation of compliance with the CRRS, for example, TPPs, TPSs, and testing laboratories
- Conduct performance evaluation (oversight) of the third part entities, that is, TPPs, TPSs, and laboratories
Food Safety Programs, Regulatory and International Affairs (that is the Safety Programs, Regulatory and International Affairs Office of DIAOOPA)
- Assess the performance of the CBs
Monitoring and Surveillance of Contaminants and Toxic Waste Office of DIAOOPA
- Coordinate and implement the National Program for Monitoring and Surveillance of Contaminants and Toxic Waste in the primary production of food in order to identify the hazards in agro-alimentary products, livestock and fisheries
- Supervise and execute the development of the National Program for Monitoring and Surveillance of Contaminants and Toxic Waste in local or foreign products, to prevent them from exceeding the maximum permissible levels
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