Importer of record and FSVP importer on the ingredients we import

P.A.T. Products, Inc. is the importer of record and the FSVP importer on the food ingredients we import. When you buy that material from our US stock, you are buying a domestic product. The customs entry, the duty, the FDA prior notice and the Foreign Supplier Verification Program records for that food sit with us.

Who is the FSVP importer

Under FDA's Foreign Supplier Verification Program rule (21 CFR part 1, subpart L), the FSVP importer is the US owner or consignee of the food at the time of entry. If there is no US owner or consignee, it is the US agent of the foreign owner, confirmed in a signed consent statement.

Our written FSVP procedures name P.A.T. Products as the consignee on every food we import. That makes us the FSVP importer for the material. The procedures cover hazard analysis, supplier evaluation and approval, verification activities, corrective actions, reevaluation at least every three years, and the records behind each step. A qualified individual on our staff develops and performs that work. We passed an FDA FSVP audit in 2024.

What buying from our US stock means for you

If you buy the material from us after it has entered the United States, you did not import it. You have no FSVP for that food, no customs entry, no import bond and no duty payment. The price you see is for a product already in the country, with the duty settled.

The answer changes if you import the same ingredient yourself, or if a shipment enters with you named as the owner or consignee. In either case you are the FSVP importer for that shipment and the program is yours to maintain.

Buying domestically does not replace your own supplier approval under FSMA's preventive controls rules. It changes who you are approving: a US company that holds the import records and answers your questionnaire directly.

CTPAT validated since 2007

P.A.T. Products has been a validated partner in U.S. Customs and Border Protection's Customs Trade Partnership Against Terrorism (CTPAT) program since January 2007. CTPAT Account #65999250, business type importer. Partners can confirm the status through CBP's Status Verification Interface.

CTPAT is a supply chain security program. CBP validates a partner's security practices against its minimum security criteria, and the partner submits a security profile for review every year. CBP lists fewer examinations and priority processing among the program's benefits to partners.

Validation covers our supply chain security. It is not a certification of product quality or food safety. Those documents come from each manufacturer's certifications and our lot documents.

The credentials, in one place

• Importer of record and consignee on the ingredients we import
• FSVP importer, with written FSVP procedures and a qualified individual on staff
• FDA FSVP audit passed in 2024
• CTPAT validated partner since January 2007, Account #65999250
• Certified organic handler, USDA National Organic Program, certified by Oregon Tilth
• In business since 1974, incorporated in Maine

Frequently asked

Do I need an FSVP if I buy from a US distributor?

Not for material the distributor imported. Under FDA's FSVP rule the FSVP importer is the US owner or consignee of the food at the time of entry. If the distributor held that position when the food entered the United States, the distributor is the FSVP importer and you did not import the food. You would need your own FSVP for any shipment that enters with you as the owner or consignee.

Who is the FSVP importer when there is no US owner or consignee at entry?

The US agent or representative of the foreign owner or consignee, confirmed in a signed statement of consent to serve as the FSVP importer. That case does not arise on our imports, because P.A.T. Products is the consignee on every food we import.

What is the difference between the importer of record and the FSVP importer?

The importer of record answers to U.S. Customs and Border Protection for the customs entry and the duty. The FSVP importer answers to FDA for verifying the foreign supplier. They are often the same company. On our imports both are P.A.T. Products, Inc.

Is PAT C-TPAT certified?

Yes. P.A.T. Products, Inc. has been a validated partner in CBP's CTPAT program since January 2007, CTPAT Account #65999250, business type importer. CTPAT partners can confirm the status through CBP's Status Verification Interface.

Is CTPAT a food safety certification?

No. CTPAT is a supply chain security program run by U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Validation covers a partner's security practices, not the quality or safety of the goods. Food safety documentation for each ingredient comes from the manufacturer's own certifications and our lot documents.