Inspection and Testing of Dairy Products

Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO reviewed information on inspection and testing standards for dairy products in the United States and selected foreign countries. GAO noted that: (1) inspection and testing standards for dairy products vary among the seven countries reviewed; (2) most countries base the frequency of their inspection and testing on the availability of resources instead of inspecting dairy farms or plants and testing dairy products at intervals specified in national laws or regulations; (3) some countries delegate inspection and testing responsibilities to state or local governments; (4) there is no evidence that these countries are using inspection and testing or other health and safety standards to impede free trade; (5) the primary barriers to free trade of dairy products are economic quotas and tariffs; (6) differences in health and safety requirements could potentially impede the free trade of dairy products in the future; and (7) the countries reviewed have no specific proposals for incorporating inspection and testing standards into the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade.