May 31, 2016
A new report issued by the Government Accountability Office recommends that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration take steps to improve its inspections of imported food. Although acknowledging that the FDA has enhanced its overall inspection duty, the report urges the agency to refine its process of targeting imports for examination by estimating their health risks.
According to accountability officials, the agency “is responsible for oversight of more than 80 percent of the U.S. food supply. However, because the volume of imported food is so high, FDA physically examines only about 1 percent of imported food annually.”
The report calls upon the agency to establish a specific timeline for making improvements in the determination of risk. More information about the report is posted at http://www.gao.gov/assets/680/677539.pdf?utm_medium=email&utm_source=govdelivery.