Food Safety

The structure of the existing food safety system, which costs the government more than $1 billion annually, hampers efforts to address food safety risks. The fragmented system developed over many years in response to the health threats posed by different food products. The existing system suffers from inconsistent and inflexible oversight and enforcement, inefficient use of resources, and ineffective coordination. In GAO's view, a single food safety inspection agency responsible for administering a uniform set of laws is the most effective way to resolve these long-standing problems, deal with emerging food safety issues, and help ensure a safe food supply. GAO recognizes, however, that there are short-term costs and other considerations associated with establishing a new government agency. A second, though less desirable, option would be to consolidate food safety activities in an existing department.

GAO noted that: (1) the structure of the food safety system--which costs the federal treasury more than $1 billion annually--hampers efforts to address public health concerns associated with existing and newly identified food safety risks; (2) the fragmented system was not developed under any rational plan but was patched together over many years to address specific health threats from particular food products; (3) efforts to address food safety concerns--particularly changing health risks--are hampered by inconsistent and inflexible oversight and enforcement authorities, inefficient resource use, and ineffective coordination; (4) a single food safety inspection agency responsible for administering a uniform set of laws is the most effective way for the federal government to resolve these long-standing problems, deal with emerging food safety issues, and better ensure a safe food supply; (5) while GAO believes that this would be the most effective approach, GAO recognizes that there are short term costs and other considerations associated with setting up a new government agency; (6) a second option, though less desirable, would be to consolidate food safety activities in an existing department; (7) in such an event, consolidating these activities--either in the Department of Agriculture or the Food and Drug Administration--presents benefits and drawbacks; and (8) regardless, it is unlikely that fundamental, long-lasting improvements in food safety will occur until food safety activities are consolidated under a single agency and the patchwork of food safety legislation is altered to make it uniform and risk-based.