Star
spangled safety
The
US food safety system is keenly committed to ensuring the highest levels
of health and hygiene in the production of food. TFPJ presents a brief
insight into key safety regulations
The
US food safety system is based on strong, flexible, science-based laws
and provides a direction for the industry’s legal responsibility
to produce safe foods for the consumer. Co-ordinated interactions among
federal authorities having complementary and interdependent food safety
missions, in partnership with their state and local government counterparts,
provide a comprehensive and effective system. The implementation of
the statutes and the food safety system over many years has resulted
in very high levels of public confidence in the safety of food in US.
The principal federal regulatory organisations responsible for providing
consumer protection are the Department of Health and Human Services
(DHHS), Food and Drug Administration (FDA), US Department of Agriculture
(USDA), Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS), Animal and Plant
Health Inspection Service (APHIS) and the Environmental Protection Agency
(EPA). The Department of Treasurys’ customs service assists the
regulatory authorities by checking and occasionally detaining imports
based on guidance provided. Many agencies and offices have food safety
missions within their research, education, prevention, surveillance,
standard-setting, and/or outbreak response activities. Some of them
include DHHS’s centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
and National Institutes of Health (NIH), USDA’s Agricultural Research
Service (ARS), Co-operative State Research Education, and Extension
Service (CSREES), Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS), Economic Research
Service (ERS), Grain Inspection, Packers and Stockyard Administration
(GIPSA), US Codex office and the Department of Commerce’s National
Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS). The FDA is responsible for protecting
consumers against impure, unsafe, and fraudulently labelled food in
areas that are not regulated by FSIS. FSIS is responsible for ensuring
that meat, poultry, and egg products are safe, wholesome, and accurately
labelled. EPA’s mission includes protecting public health and the
environment from risks posed by pesticides and promoting safer means
of pest management. No food or feed item may be marketed legally in
the US if it contains a food additive or drug residue not permitted
by FDA or has a pesticide residue exceeding EPA’s tolerance levels.
Implementing
laws and regulations
The three branches of the US government, legislative, executive
and judicial are all required to ensure the safety of the US food supply.
Congress enacts statutes designed to ensure the safety of the nation’s
food supply. The executive branch departments and agencies are responsible
for implementation, and may do so by promulgating regulations, which
are published in the Federal Register and also displayed on the web.
Characteristics of US food safety system are the separation of powers
and science-based decision-making. Agency...
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