U.S. Needs More FDA Food Inspections – Govt Report

(FlexNews – Reuters)

Federal inspectors are conducting fewer reviews of food manufacturing plants, with many facilities going more than five years without being checked, a government investigator said Wednesday. The drop in inspections could make an outbreak of foodborne disease more likely, putting the public at risk, according to a report from the Department of Health and Human Services’ inspector general. A shrinking workforce at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration is responsible for much of the drop in the number of facilities inspected, including those deemed high risk by the agency, the report said.

An estimated 76 million people in the United States get sick every year with foodborne illness and 5,000 die, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “This is unacceptable in our modern society and an important reminder that we must provide FDA with the needed tools,” said Senator Tom Harkin, chairman of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, which unanimously passed a food safety bill in November.

The measure awaits full approval from the Senate, which could take place soon after lawmakers return next week. A food safety bill passed in the House in July. Read more here.