Planning Food Safety

In its $90.7 billion agriculture funding bill passed Thursday, August 2, the U.S. House included a provision that directs the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to submit a plan to improve its work on food safety.

The effectiveness of FDA’s work has been questioned because of contaminated imports, including melamine-contaminated pet food from China, and also for contaminated peanut butter and bagged spinach produced in the U.S.

The House wants the FDA plan submitted early next year, to be implemented by July 2009. The House bill now goes to the U.S. Senate. It requires FDA to define clear goals for an overhaul of its operations to monitor food safety. Part of this plan could include reviewing food safety regulations and safeguards in countries exporting food to the United States and setting food safety standards that can be truly enforced. The FDA monitors the safety of processed foods, fruits, and vegetables, while the US Department of Agriculture handles meat safety.

The White House, however, has threatened to veto the House bill as passed, because of its other provisions.

The FDA may already have completed a portion of the House requirement. It announced last Wednesday, August 1, a new program that is intended to improve coordination between FDA and state food agencies in regard to inspections and food safety. The new program prescribes procedures for inspection by state agencies on businesses producing food products under the jurisdiction of the FDA.

Food inspection regulations vary across different states which sometimes results in inconsistencies. The new program would standardize all inspection regulations and integrate the activities of state agencies. This program has been provoked in part by several outbreaks involving processed foods. Last month, canned hotdog chili produced at a food manufacturing plant in Georgia was linked to botulism poisoning. In January, peanut butter products downed 600 people with salmonella poisoning.

Critics say the US food safety system suffers because of varying standards and poor coordination between state agencies. The FDA program seeks to remove that problem. It is not mandatory, however; it is up to the states whether to adopt them or not.