America is one of extremely important markets for Thai business. The demand for food, especially for a variety of imported foods in the U.S. is high because of ethnic diversity. However, to protect its local consumers, like other developed countries, the U.S. sets quite strict measures concerning food products.

In the U.S., U.S. FDA (U.S. Food and Drug Administration) whose headquarters is situated in Washington D.C., is responsible for examining both domestic and imported food products in order to protect U.S. consumers while U.S. DC (U.S. Department of Commerce) is responsible for problems and obstacles in commerce.

Import Control Measures

U.S.FDA sets a method to check the quality of food products well known as "Automatic Detention"; hold up products and have them examined by organizations screened by U.S.FDA. If a company's products pass quality tests for 5 times, the products' importers can request that their names be excluded from Automatic Detention, called Green Ticket. However, random tests are conducted from time to time and if germs or substances, contaminated is higher than the rate set by U.S.FDA, the exporters will be forced to go back into Automatic Detention and undergo 5-times tests again.

According to Nutrition Labeling and Education ACT of 1990, which specifically concerns and pays much attention directly to consumers, ingredients, i.e. carbohydrate, fat, protein, substances hazardous to health like cholesterol, etc. must be stated on the labels. This is to inform consumers the nutritional values in the food they are going to purchase as well as providing them an opportunity to select the products which are not harmful to their health.

Import Control Method

In the previous topic concerns the fact that America has proceeded "Automatic Detention" method, forcing new exporters who'd like to send food products to America to unavoidably get into this method. Even those who have already got Green Ticket, if it is found that their products have problems, they must get back to Automatic Detention system again.

Current Situations

The U.S. requires the Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point System (HACCP) from manufacturers who wish to export their fishery products to the U.S. HACCP is the method of self-control between exporters in each country and importers in the U.S. The system has many more advantages than the food control system presently practiced in the U.S. HACCP is the system which

	Mainly focuses on food contamination crisis prevention.
	Widens accesses for Government organizations to effectively, efficiently attend to security control of manufacturers since there is an increase of memorandums which is capable of examining the manufacturers for different period of time instead of examining only for any particular day.
	Gives Authority in assuring appropriate food safety for manufacturers or dealers.

Even with this system in place, the U.S. still has power to randomly check products occasionally. It is expected that in the future the U.S. will requires HACCP for all general food products.