A report by the Government Accountability Office in the US says the Food and Drug Administration’s handling of food safety in the fresh produce industry has been hampered by a lack of adequate resources.
The study showed that an increasing amount of the agency’s budget and manpower was being spent on investigating outbreaks of foodborne illnesses and counterterrorism efforts, leaving fewer resources left for inspections and other preventative measures.
The GAO said the FDA spent US$20m – equivalent to approximately 3 per cent of its food safety budget – on fresh produce in 2007. Its report also points out that only a tiny fraction (1 per cent) of US fresh produce imports are inspected by the FDA – and that the majority of samples taken from imports were tested for pesticides rather than pathogens.
The report criticises the FDA for failing to carrying out more regular inspections of domestic companies. It said the 2,002 US fresh produce firms were inspected an average of two times between 2000 and 2007 and despite problems being found in 41 per cent of cases, the agency relied too often on companies to take voluntary corrective measures.
“This report paints a frightening picture of the FDA’s fresh produce safety efforts – insufficient resources and staff, infrequent inspections and a failure to punish known violators,” said Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-Cal.) one of the senators to call for the study in the wake of the 2006 E.coli outbreak linked to fresh spinach.
“It also offers further proof that the Bush Administration’s disdain for government oversight and regulation has had disastrous consequences in terms of food safety and public health, let alone the financial markets. This report should serve as a wake up call to do more to protect the nation’s food supply.”
The GAO went on to say that the FDA’s Food Protection Plan could significantly improve the agency’s oversight of the industry. But it warned that while the initiative remained in the planning stages it was “difficult to assess the likelihood of success”.
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