Who Really Regulates Food In the US?
In theory, US food regulations fall under the purview of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the US Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service (USDA FSIS). However, as recent history suggests, the FDA relies on close relationships with the USDA and the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to mitigate foodborne illnesses.
No food supply chain is perfect, and despite headlines about Salmonella and Cyclospora, the vast majority of food products in the US are delivered safely to millions of Americans every day. It’s taken a lot of legislation and improvement to get us to this point.
The Food Safety Modernization Act
Today’s food safety regulations are largely shaped by the 2011 Food Safety Modernization Act. The Act shifted the FDA’s focus to proactively prevent food contamination instead of reacting to outbreaks after the fact. The core goals of the Act are to:
Compel companies to create detailed food safety plans to reduce risk
Allow the FDA to compel product recalls if a company fails to act
Oversee the quality, origin, and production methods of imported foods
Demand clear tracking of all food from farms to retailers
The Act also includes seven rules designed to address key interchanges in the global food supply chain.
Preventive Controls for Human Food – Human food facilities registered with the FDA must implement a written plan that identifies hazards and outlines appropriate preventive controls
Preventive Controls for Animal Food – Animal food facilities registered with the FDA must implement a written plan that identifies hazards and outlines appropriate preventive controls
Produce Safety – Establishes minimum standards for growing, harvesting, packing, and storing produce
Foreign Supplier Verification Program – Importers must verify that their global suppliers comply with FDA regulations
Third-Party Certification – Accredits third-party certification bodies to administer voluntary consultative and regulatory audits to help companies prepare for regulatory audits or achieve certifications
Food Defense (intentional adulteration) – Food facilities registered with the FDA must develop a plan that assesses contamination vulnerabilities and document a mitigation strategy for each vulnerability
Sanitary Transportation – New requirements for companies that transport food, including shippers, receivers, loaders, and carriers
Does the FDA Oversee All Food Safety Categories?
Close. The FSMA only covers about 75% of the US food supply. The US Department of Agriculture oversees meat, poultry, and most dairy products. That means the FDA oversees commercial farms, packing operations, and food processing facilities.
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Food Safety Is a Major Health Risk
In the US, roughly 1 in 6 people will consume contaminated food every year, and more than 128,000 individuals are hospitalized due to foodborne illnesses. In addition to the immediate health effects, foodborne illness has massive economic and financial consequences, including exorbitant medical bills, income and job loss and, in some cases, lingering symptoms that never quite go away, impacting mental health and social habits.
Causes of Foodborne Illness
In most cases, bacteria, viruses, and parasites cause foodborne disease. The most common are Salmonella, Campylobacter, and norovirus, all of which cause severe stomach infections and pain.
There are other potential sources, too, including chemical toxins and physical debris.
Young children are at the highest risk of foodborne illnesses because they lack basic food hygiene skills and have more sensitive digestive and immune systems. Children under five typically face more severe cases and dangerous dehydration.
Older adults over the age of 65 are also high-risk, as are pregnant women and individuals with weak immune systems.
Stay Healthy with Food Safety and Hygiene
At the personal and household level, practicing good food hygiene is the best way to lower your risk.
Always wash your hands before and after preparing food, and sanitize all cooking surfaces
Keep raw and cooked foods separate from prepared foods
Always cook foods to food-safe temperatures before serving
Refrigerate leftovers within two hours to prevent bacterial growth
We recommend watching for food recalls in the news and checking the FDA’s Recalls List to determine whether your food was affected. If your product is listed, follow the directions included in the recall. In most cases, you’ll be asked to discard the item, return it for a refund, or take further actions, such as disinfecting shelving or surfaces the product may have touched.
Prevention Is the Future
Like food safety, society needs to adopt a prevention-first approach to cancer. More than half of all types of cancer are preventable by diet and lifestyle changes, and we’re committed to offering the education and advocacy it will take to get the US on track. You can help by donating to Less Cancer today.