Revamping Federal Oversight of Food Safety

Why It's High Risk

While our nation's food supply is generally safe, we still face safety challenges because of three major trends:

• food imported from more than 150 countries and territories constitutes a substantial and increasing percentage of the U.S. food supply— about 15 percent of the overall U.S. food supply, about 60 percent of fresh fruits and vegetables, and over 80 percent of seafood—and imported foods have been associated with recent outbreaks of foodborne illnesses;
• consumers are eating more foods that are raw or minimally processed such as leafy greens—for example the average consumer ate 2.4 pounds of fresh spinach in 2005, a 180 percent increase over 1992—and this is the category of produce most likely to be associated with an outbreak; and
• growing segments of the population—including older adults, children, immune-compromised individuals, and pregnant women—are increasingly susceptible to food-borne illnesses.

^ Back to topWhat We Found

In 2007, GAO designated the federal oversight of food safety as a high-risk area because 15 agencies collectively administer at least 30 food-related laws. This fragmentation has caused inconsistent oversight, ineffective coordination, and inefficient use of resources. The two key agencies are:

• the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), which is responsible for all meat and poultry and must inspect all meat and poultry prepared for commerce and
• the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), which is responsible for nearly all other foods, including most seafood.

Since then, federal oversight of food safety has become even more fragmented, because the 2008 Farm Bill assigned USDA oversight responsibility for catfish, thus splitting up the seafood oversight.

In addition, we reported

• Three federal agencies—Customs and Border Protection (CBP), FDA, and USDA—oversee the safety of imported food. We found that gaps in enforcement and collaboration, such as these agencies' computer systems not sharing key information, may potentially increase the risk that unsafe food could enter U.S. commerce.
• The three federal agencies that share responsibility for detecting and preventing seafood fraud—CBP, National Marine Fisheries Service, and FDA—have not identified similar and sometimes overlapping activities that could be better coordinated to use limited resources more efficiently.
• Over 70 percent of processed foods contain ingredients from genetically engineered crops, but the three federal agencies that oversee them—USDA, FDA, and the Environmental Protection Agency—do not have a coordinated strategy for determining whether they cause food safety concerns, such as the unintentional introduction of pharmaceutical or industrial compounds into the food supply.

Federal expenditures on food safety are not based on the volume of foods regulated by the agencies or consumed by the public:

• FDA is responsible for about 80 percent of the food supply and yet accounts for about 24 percent of expenditures, but its inspections have been sporadic—FDA conducted 96 inspections in 11 countries in fiscal year 2007, down from 211 inspections in 26 countries in 2001. FDA reported that limited resources challenge its efforts to carry out its responsibilities. Specifically:
  • FDA has little assurance that companies comply with food-labeling laws and regulations;
  • responding to unplanned events like food-borne outbreaks has caused FDA to provide limited oversight of domestic and imported fresh produce as well as delay key safety actions, such as updating regulations and guidance; and
  • FDA's Food Protection Plan proposed positive first steps, such as stating its intent to request authority to issue preventive controls, but the plan lacks more specific information on strategies and resources, and FDA's capacity to implement the plan is critical.
• USDA is responsible for regulating about 20 percent of the food supply and accounts for the majority of expenditures; however:
  • staffing declined from its highest level in 1995. Vacancy rates in some areas were as high as 22 percent in 2008. Officials reported this decline is due to fewer facilities and risk-based efforts to reduce food contamination.
  • although the number of recalls dropped, the quantity of meat and poultry recalled has increased sharply.

Selected countries' food safety systems can offer insights into overseeing our food safety challenges. These systems focus on the entire food supply chain, from "farm to table"; place primary responsibility for safety on producers; separate risk assessment and risk management; conduct risk-based inspections; and take steps to ensure certain food imports meet equivalent safety standards.

^ Back to topWhat Needs to Be Done

GAO has recommended a reconvened food safety council. The Administration established a new Food Safety Working Group in March 2009. In addition, GAO recommends:

• the executive branch develop a results-oriented governmentwide performance plan to help ensure agencies' food safety goals are complementary and to help decision makers balance trade-offs when resource allocation and restructuring decisions are made and
• Congress consider commissioning the National Academy of Sciences or a blue ribbon panel to conduct a detailed analysis of alternative food safety organizational structures and enact comprehensive, uniform, and risk-based food safety legislation.

^ Back to topKey Reports

Food Safety: Agencies Need to Address Gaps in Enforcement and Collaboration to Enhance Safety of Imported Food

GAO-09-873, September 15, 2009

Summary (HTML)   Highlights Page (PDF)   Full Report (PDF, 78 pages)   Accessible Text   Recommendations (HTML)

Seafood Fraud: FDA Program Changes and Better Collaboration among Key Federal Agencies Could Improve Detection and Prevention

GAO-09-258, February 19, 2009

Summary (HTML)   Highlights Page (PDF)   Full Report (PDF, 53 pages)   Accessible Text   Recommendations (HTML)

Food Safety: Improvements Needed in FDA Oversight of Fresh Produce

GAO-08-1047, September 26, 2008

Summary (HTML)   Highlights Page (PDF)   Full Report (PDF, 77 pages)   Accessible Text   Recommendations (HTML)

Food Labeling: FDA Needs to Better Leverage Resources, Improve Oversight, and Effectively Use Available Data to Help Consumers Select Healthy Foods

GAO-08-597, September 9, 2008

Summary (HTML)   Highlights Page (PDF)   Full Report (PDF, 81 pages)   Accessible Text   Recommendations (HTML)

More Reports