Food Safety

Issue:
Numerous nationwide food recalls have increased consumer awareness of food safety. At issue is whether the current food safety system has the resources, authority and structural organization to safeguard the health of American consumers against food-related illness. Also at issue is whether federal food safety laws have kept pace with the significant changes that have occurred in the food production, processing and marketing sectors.

Background:
The Government Accountability Office (GAO) has identified 15 federal agencies collectively administering at least 30 laws related to food safety. The FDA and the Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) within USDA have most of the funding and staffing of the government’s food regulatory system. FDA is responsible for ensuring that all domestic and imported food products are safe, nutritious, wholesome and accurately labeled. FDA shares responsibility for the safety of eggs with FSIS.

FSIS regulates the safety, wholesomeness and proper labeling of most domestic and imported meat and poultry and their products sold for human consumption. FSIS inspects all cattle, sheep, swine, goats and horses before and after they are slaughtered. FSIS also maintains oversight during the meat and poultry processing into food products. Among the other agencies that play a role in food safety are USDA’s Agricultural Research Service, Center for Disease Control, the Environmental Protection Agency, the National Marine Fisheries Service and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).

Some of the reforms being discussed are:

• Giving mandatory recall authority to federal government agencies. Under current law, USDA inspectors have the power to detain meat and poultry at any point (including the live animal during antemortem inspection) if the inspector even suspects the product may be harmful. USDA can also seize products from the marketplace if they are suspected to be unsafe or misbranded.
• Efforts to restrict or reduce existing ports of entry for agricultural product imports. Eliminating import entry points will not necessarily result in fewer or safer imports, but it will impede the flow of commerce. There also is concern about retaliatory actions that could be taken by our trading partners to restrict ports of entry for U.S. agricultural exports, a $80 billion contributor to the U.S. economy.
• Requiring producers of certain farm commodities to employ Good Agricultural Practices in fields. For certain commodities, reducing the opportunity for pathogens to become attached in farm fields is essential if these commodities are presented as safe for sale. The question centers around what practices must be used, who establishes them and how they are enforced.

Legislative Status:
Any actions by Congress should be based on sound science and prudent risk assessment. American consumers need to have confidence that their food is safe and that the best science is being used to ensure that the most wholesome product possible is produced and offered.

Farm Bureau Policy:
Farm Bureau supports the efforts of FSIS and FDA while encouraging Congress to sufficiently fund all agencies safeguarding U.S. food and food products. We state clearly that USDA should be designated as the lead agency in the development of the proposed safety guidelines. Farm Bureau policy states that point of entry inspections should be in addition to ‘processing plant’, ‘field’ or other required U.S. government inspections in countries of product origin and should be paid through user fees by the importer.