Food Regulation and Safety

The United States enjoys the safest food supply in the world, not by accident but rather due to the current laws and regulations protecting the health and safety of the American public.  However, even a system that ensures the safest food supply can become outdated and inefficient if it does not keep pace with emerging threats and technological advances.

Today’s consumers demand a food supply  that is safe from all hazards, including microbial, chemical, and physical threats. Many of the hazards associated with foods are not detectable through traditional inspection techniques, although current laws and regulations often depend upon these regulatory methods. New technology is emerging that allows regulatory agencies new, more effective options for ensuring the safety of food. New knowledge and research about food safety has shown us how a system can be strengthened even when resources are limited.

The U.S. food safety system should be consistently reviewed and updated. Reform should be based on risk, as well as the best available, scientifically-proven technologies, such as irradiation. It should eliminate duplication and improve efficiency. It should ensure consistency between federal agencies, and afford state regulators and industry a forum in which to seek clarification when information is inconsistent.  Reform should also retain those elements of current laws which meet the current-science standard, and which have assured the U.S. the safest food supply to date.