Federal Food Safety Oversight System Needs Overhaul: Watchdog

A large group of Gram-negative Salmonella typhimurium bacteria that had been isolated from a pure culture in 2009. Janice Haney Carr/CDC via AP

Federal agencies are failing to meet their foodborne illness reduction targets, necessitating the creation of a national strategy to improve food safety oversight, according to a recent report from the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO).

There are at least 30 federal laws governing the safety and quality of the U.S. food supply. These laws are administered by 15 federal agencies, including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and the Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS).

While these agencies have taken certain steps to set up goals related to reducing foodborne illnesses, “the most recently available data show that FDA and FSIS have not met their goals,” said the Feb. 3 report from GAO.

According to the report, while the U.S. food supply is generally considered to be safe, tens of millions of people contract foodborne illnesses every year.

The agency cited a forthcoming CDC study showing that just six pathogens were responsible for around 10 million foodborne sickness cases annually in the country, resulting in 53,300 hospitalizations and 900 deaths every year. An earlier CDC estimate from 2011 that covered more pathogens estimated 128,000 hospitalizations and 3,000 deaths annually.

The GAO report listed seven recent annual performance goals—three each for the CDC and FDA, with one for FSIS. None of these goals were achieved.

For instance, the FDA aimed to reduce the incidence of lab-diagnosed, domestically acquired salmonella infections in humans to 14 cases per 100,000 individuals. The target was not hit.

The CDC was found to have failed to increase the epidemiologic capacity of its Epidemiology and Laboratory Capacity Program to its expected target.

As for FSIS, the agency aimed to reduce the proportion of poultry samples containing salmonella bacteria by 4 percent. However, it ended up rising by 22 percent.

The agencies gave various reasons for not hitting the targets. For example, the CDC attributed its failure to increase epidemiologic capacity to “a lack of staffing capacity at state and local health departments,” according to the report.

Both FDA and FSIS reported challenges when it came to meeting their goals.

FSIS said it planned on developing a final rule regarding salmonella contamination in raw poultry products “as soon as possible.” Once the rule is finalized, it will aid in preventing certain contaminated products from entering the market, the officials said.

GAO has long cited the fragmented nature of the federal food safety oversight system as being responsible for “inconsistent oversight, ineffective coordination, and inefficient use of resources.”

“We previously reported on the need for a national strategy to guide federal efforts to address ongoing fragmentation and improve the federal food safety oversight system,” the report said.

“We maintain that such a strategy could create an opportunity to further strengthen the oversight of the nation’s food supply, thereby reducing the economic and public health impacts of foodborne illness.”

USDA Response

GAO submitted a draft version of the report to the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) for review and comments.

The USDA, under which FSIS operates, “generally agreed with our findings and provided additional context regarding its pathogen standards,” GAO said.

USDA said that FSIS, which oversees the safety of meat, egg, and poultry products, conducts inspections at roughly 7,100 federally regulated establishments. The agency detailed several steps FSIS has taken regarding food safety.

For instance, in April, FSIS announced a final determination declaring salmonella in raw breaded stuffed chicken an adulterant beyond a certain limit. FSIS has also announced measures to strengthen oversight of ready-to-eat food establishments, according to the USDA.

“FSIS is committed to constantly reviewing and improving our policies and processes to protect the public from foodborne illness,” the agency said.

GAO, citing CDC data, said more than 9,000 foodborne illness outbreaks were reported across 50 states between 2011 and 2022. The annual cost of such illnesses is estimated to be $75 billion.

Meanwhile, a group of lawmakers recently introduced the Expanded Food Safety Investigation Act that seeks to provide the FDA with the authority to collect microbial samples from “concentrated animal feeding operations” (CAFO) during times of public health need or disease outbreaks.

CAFOs are facilities where animals are raised in confinement. Instead of leaving animals to feed themselves by grazing on land, the animals are fed at the facilities. At present, public health agencies do not have the authority to collect samples from such operations.

The Act “will ensure FDA has the power to investigate corporate agribusinesses, respond effectively to public health threats, and protect American consumers,” said Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.), one of the lawmakers who introduced the bill.

The Epoch Times reached out to the FDA and CDC for comment on the GAO report.