How Mexico’s Horticultural Export Sector Responded to the Food Safety Modernization Act

The Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) gave the U.S. Food and Drug Administration new powers to ensure that imported food meets U.S. standards. This case study used interviews with Mexican horticultural growers focused on the export market to explore how their industry responded to FSMA’s new requirements. Half of the 26 companies interviewed identified training the head of the firm’s food safety program as the main challenge. Medium-to-large companies (300–1,000 seasonal workers) were more likely to have modified their food safety activities and hold 3 or more food safety certifications—facilitating the sector’s growing presence in the U.S. market.