Food Import Safety and International Trade: Comparing Regulatory Regimes in India and the U.S.A.

Abstract

Over the years, the bilateral relations between India and the United States of America (U.S.A.) have catapulted into a “global strategic partnership”. Both the countries foster the pursuit of a plethora of shared goals, values, and beliefs, with an entrenched focus on accelerating the achievement of sustainable development. This becomes palpable in the realm of agri-food trade, where sustainability and food safety regulation enjoy a pivotal status for both the countries. While recognising the diverse culinary cultures and different origins of regulating food, they implement food import control-safety measures/standards and regulations for the welfare of the consumers. By reducing the vulnerability of their populations to transnational food-related risks through the apparatus of law, they lessen the burden on the healthcare and food systems. In this milieu, this research is anchored in comparing the regulatory mechanisms for ensuring food import safety in India and the U.S.A.