TORONTO, Ont. — The FDA will enter the second phase of enforcement on prior notice of imported food shipments and registration of food facilities March 13.

The upcoming phase of enforcement can be classified as Informed Compliance and Penalties for Egregious Violators, reports the Canadian Trucking Alliance. Penalties will be assessed to those parties who reflect a history of repeated conduct of a similar nature in regards to the prior notice requirements who have been continuously notified of such violations in the first phase of FDA enforcement (December 12, 2003 March 12, 2004).

Penalties will also be assessed if the violations for failure to provide prior notice appear to be intentional or flagrant. Details on what form the penalties will take have not been released, and will be communicated to the industry as they become available, reports the CTA.