Accreditation of Certification Bodies under the U.S. FDA Third-Party Certification Program
Assuring Confidence in Food Safety
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has recognized IAS under the Accredited Third-Party Certification Program to accredit certification bodies, also known as third-party auditors. These certification bodies, once accredited, can conduct food safety audits and issue certifications of foreign food facilities (including farms) and the foods – both human and animal – that they produce. Those certifications can be used by importers to establish eligibility for participation in the Voluntary Qualified Importer Program (VQIP), and in certain circumstances FDA can require that imported products be certified before entering the United States.
This virtual event is to provide information for certification bodies about the FDA Accredited Third-Party Certification Program and IAS accreditation process. The intent is for IAS to work with the U.S. Embassy in Peru to promote this event in Spanish speaking countries.
Event Highlights:
A. Opening Message Given by U.S. Embassy
B. FDA Overview of Requirements
C. IAS Accreditation Process
D. Q&A Session
This 90-minute online Event will feature three institutions, including the U.S. Commercial Service – American Consulate General, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, and the International Accreditation Service.
Your Instructor
Pat Cassidy
Pat is a Foreign Service Officer in the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Commercial Service, with the mission to help American companies succeed in overseas markets. This work includes providing strategic advice and practical assistance to American businesses seeking to enter or expand in their business abroad and attracting foreign direct investment to the U.S. Pat was Acting Regional Senior Commercial Officer for the ANDPAN region- including Panama, Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru. His other assignments include Almaty, Kazakhstan, where he was the Senior Commercial Officer, and Commercial Attaché positions in New Delhi, India and Tokyo, Japan. Pat entered the Commercial Service after a career of 22 years in the U.S. Army, retiring at the rank of Lieutenant Colonel. Pat is a graduate of The Citadel, Golden Gate University, U.S. Ar-my Command and General Staff College, Airborne and Ranger Schools.
Doriliz (Dori) De Leon
Program Coordinator for the Accredited Third-Party Certification Program U.S. Food and Drug Administration - Doriliz (Dori) De Leon has been at FDA’s Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition since 2002. She is the Program Coordinator for the Accredited Third-Party Certification Program (TPP), providing strategic planning and oversight over the program. Prior to this, Dori was the subject matter expert for import compliance activities within the Office of Compliance, Division of Enforcement. She also serves as a Co-Lead for the FSMA Imports Control Workgroup and has led implementation activities for various import related FSMA programs, including the Voluntary Qualified Importer Program (VQIP), the Foreign Supplier Verification Programs (FSVP), and the TPP. She is a graduate of the University of Florida, with a Master of Science degree in Food Science and Human Nutrition and a Bachelor of Science degree in Microbiology.
Dimitrios Katsieris
Senior Global Manager - Testing Laboratories, IAS – Dimitrios Katsieris is responsible for the U.S. FDA Accredited Third-Party Certification Program, U.S. FDA ASCA program for medical device testing, and medical laboratories accreditation program, among other responsibilities Dimitrios is also active in the ISO and ISO/CASCO committees for the development of International Standards and has much experience in food related conformity assessment schemes/regulations in many regions around the world (e.g., Europe, Latin America). In addition to his program oversight, Dimitrios is a lead assessor and trainer. He has a Master of Science (MSc) degree in Food Science and Quality Assurance
Alberto Herrera
Alberto is Senior Manager for IAS coordinating accreditation activities relating to South and Central American customers including laboratory, PCB, MSCB, and inspection programs, among others. For more than 20 years he worked in activities related to the development of building regulations and has participated in programs to promote and implement the Building Codes in Mexico, Cambodia, Jamaica and Bangladesh, collaborating with government agencies in those countries. He has overseen the production of technical documents in English and Spanish, as well as in the Spanish editions of the International Codes (I-Codes) of 2003, 2006, 2009, 2015, 2018 and 2021 for the ICC. He produced the Constructionary, a Spanish-English pocket dictionary, and is co-author of Learning Construction Spanglish, both published by McGraw-Hill.