Government and Protective Services

With all that can go wrong with our food - who is looking out for us?

Quick Glance: FDA Approved...

Once used in the early 1900’s the United States Food Administration has undergone some major changes. If you were a member of this organization, you might have had this sign in the window of your store or restaurant. Now, we have several agencies that help us monitor our food supply and make sure that it is safe. The United States Department of Agriculture plays a major role in our livestock, poultry, and egg supply. While the Food and Drug Administration helps to monitor most of our dry goods and over-the-counter medicines, The Center for Disease Control and Environmental Protection Agency makes sure that laws are enforced to keep our supply chain going and free from harmful pesticides and contaminants. And lastly, the Department of Public Health keeps our eating establishments and restaurants healthy and clean!

Explore: Food Regulations

The FDA Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA), the most sweeping reform of our food safety laws in more than 70 years, was signed into law by President Obama on January 4, 2011. It aims to ensure the U.S. food supply is safe by shifting the focus from responding to contamination to preventing it.

Government agencies have long been governing the safety of our food supply. Since the early 1900’s it has been one of the nation’s missions to protect and provide consumers with healthy food and drink products. Congress is the governing body that controls and regulates these three agencies. The bylaws and rules are set up in the US Constitution. Section 8 reads: "The Congress shall have power to ... regulate commerce ... among the ...states". Here are some facts about these governing agencies.

Government Agency Statistics
1. Regulates 136,000 registered domestic food facilities
2. Regulates 2 million farms
3. Regulates 935,000 restaurants and institutional foodservice establishments
4. Regulates 114,000 supermarkets, grocery stores, and other food outlets
5. Regulates $417 billion worth of domestic food.
6. Regulates $49 billion in imported food a year.

Take a look at the presentation below to learn more about the different agencies and what they do.

The Process

All of these agencies work together to keep us safe and our food supply healthy. But, what happens if a few contaminants slip through the cracks? What happens when there is a salmonella outbreak? This can happen at any time and in fact happens more often than we would like. At this point, a recall takes place. A recall is the process of removing a certain potentially harmful product from the market. It is a multi-step process. See the timeline below to get a better idea of how this process takes place.

What can happen if a food company or manufacturer does not want to comply with the recall? Under the Food Modernization Act, the FDA has the right to order a mandatory recall if the warnings for a voluntary recall have been denied. Many times, the company wants to recall bad food on their own. They want to do the responsible things and keep consumers safe.

Watch the video below to learn about recalls.

Challenge

There are many government agencies that put protective measures in place. Try the challenge below to test your knowledge.

Takeaway: What Is Your Takeaway?

So, we have covered organizations here in the states. What about abroad?

The Codex Alimentarius Commission is a joint intergovernmental body of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and WHO with 187 Member States and one Member Organization (EU). Since 1963 Codex has worked to ensure fair trade and protect consumers. Because its members cover about 99% of the world, decisions and regulations affect many around the world. Even developing countries are affected by Codex. Through grants and funding, these impoverished areas are benefiting from better education on improving their food supply and health.

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