The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) opened two offices in New Delhi and Mumbai, India, as part of a new initiative to ensure safety and quality of drugs and food products flowing from India into the United States, the FDA said Thursday in a press release.

The FDA will post 10 experienced officials in India to work closely with industries that ship food and medical products to the United States, to improve safety and quality, which will facilitate the smooth flow of trade.

They will provide technical advice, conduct inspections of facilities that export to the United States, and work with Indian government agencies and the private sector to develop certification programs to allow the efficient flow of safe FDA-regulated goods between the United States and India.

These offices are part of the FDA's Beyond Our Borders Initiative, which will place 35 personnel in 14 locations around the world, mostly connected to U.S. embassies, consulates and missions. This initiative will expand FDA consumer-protection efforts beyond the United States to form collaborative partnerships with governments and industry on product safety.

India is the fourth largest exporter by volume of drugs and biologics, especially generic pharmaceuticals, to the United States. It is also a significant exporter of food products.

The FDA also plans to post personnel to several more locations in 2009 -- Mexico, South America, Europe and the Middle East.

Source:Xinhua