FDA Using Computer Program To Track Risky Imports

New technology is allowing the Food and Drug Administration to utilize an automated system to sort through millions of foreign shipments and identify food and drugs that are most likely to be contaminated and dangerous to consumers (AP for Findlaw, 2/4).

This promising new system, aptly called PREDICT, "will help inspectors target shipments for inspection that pose the greatest risk" by assigning a risk-based score to each imported container. The score is based on factors such as the "contents of the shipment, country of origin, and the manufacturer's safety record."

Although at this point, the inspections are often random and only a small percentage is inspected at this early stage, the FDA hopes to have PREDICT implemented nation wide sometime in the spring of 2010.

As a products liability lawyer, I am encouraged by the utilization of this new technology. I am hopeful that the FDA will act swiftly in implementing this promising program on a nation wide basis.