{
  "id": "RS22600",
  "type": "CRS Report",
  "typeId": "REPORTS",
  "number": "RS22600",
  "active": true,
  "source": "EveryCRSReport.com, University of North Texas Libraries Government Documents Department",
  "versions": [
    {
      "source": "EveryCRSReport.com",
      "id": 457727,
      "date": "2016-12-16",
      "retrieved": "2016-12-22T16:29:07.126196",
      "title": "The Federal Food Safety System: A Primer",
      "summary": "Numerous federal, state, and local agencies share responsibilities for regulating the safety of the U.S. food supply. Federal responsibility for food safety rests primarily with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). FDA, an agency of the Department of Health and Human Services, is responsible for ensuring the safety of all domestic and imported food products (except for most meats and poultry). FDA also has oversight of all seafood, fish, and shellfish products. USDA\u2019s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) regulates most meat and poultry and some egg products. The Government Accountability Office (GAO) has identified as many as 15 federal agencies, including FDA and FSIS, as collectively administering at least 30 laws related to food safety. State and local food safety authorities collaborate with federal agencies for inspection and other food safety functions, and they regulate retail food establishments.\nThe combined efforts of the food industry and government regulatory agencies often are credited with making the U.S. food supply among the safest in the world. However, critics view this system as lacking the organization, regulatory tools, and resources to adequately combat foodborne illness\u2014as evidenced by a series of widely publicized food safety problems, including concerns about adulterated food and food ingredient imports, and illnesses linked to various types of fresh produce, to peanut products, and to some meat and poultry products. Some critics also note that the organizational complexity of the U.S. food safety system as well as trends in U.S. food markets\u2014for example, increasing imports as a share of U.S. food consumptions and increasing consumption of fresh, often unprocessed, foods\u2014pose ongoing challenges to ensuring food safety. \nOver the years, GAO has published a series of reports highlighting how food safety oversight in the United States is fragmented and recommending broad restructuring of the nation\u2019s food safety system. Similar observations are noted in a series of food safety studies by the National Research Council (NRC) and the Institute of Medicine (IOM) that recommend that the core federal food safety responsibilities should reside within a single entity/agency, with a unified administrative structure, a clear mandate, a dedicated budget, and full responsibility for oversight of the entire U.S. food supply.\nThe 111th Congress passed comprehensive food safety legislation with the FDA Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA, P.L. 111-353). FSMA is the largest expansion of FDA\u2019s food safety authorities since the 1930s. Although numerous agencies share responsibility for regulating food safety, FSMA focused on foods regulated by FDA, amended FDA\u2019s existing structure and authorities, and did not directly address meat and poultry products under USDA\u2019s jurisdiction. Beyond these changes, some in Congress continue to push for additional policy reforms to address other perceived concerns about the safety of the U.S. food supply.",
      "type": "CRS Report",
      "typeId": "REPORTS",
      "active": true,
      "formats": [
        {
          "format": "HTML",
          "encoding": "utf-8",
          "url": "http://www.crs.gov/Reports/RS22600",
          "sha1": "8e6fa6da490bbaea48442be14209dc1f1b44b457",
          "filename": "files/20161216_RS22600_8e6fa6da490bbaea48442be14209dc1f1b44b457.html",
          "images": null
        },
        {
          "format": "PDF",
          "encoding": null,
          "url": "http://www.crs.gov/Reports/pdf/RS22600",
          "sha1": "910156eb73ec572f200962acf53119bdfacf28ba",
          "filename": "files/20161216_RS22600_910156eb73ec572f200962acf53119bdfacf28ba.pdf",
          "images": null
        }
      ],
      "topics": [
        {
          "source": "IBCList",
          "id": 4743,
          "name": "Animal Agriculture"
        },
        {
          "source": "IBCList",
          "id": 4771,
          "name": "Food Safety"
        }
      ]
    },
    {
      "source": "EveryCRSReport.com",
      "id": 448488,
      "date": "2016-01-05",
      "retrieved": "2016-04-06T17:36:10.592899",
      "title": "The Federal Food Safety System: A Primer",
      "summary": "Numerous federal, state, and local agencies share responsibilities for regulating the safety of the U.S. food supply. Federal responsibility for food safety rests primarily with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). FDA, an agency of the Department of Health and Human Services, is responsible for ensuring the safety of all domestic and imported food products (except for most meats and poultry). FDA also has oversight of all seafood, fish, and shellfish products. USDA\u2019s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) regulates most meat and poultry and some egg products. The Government Accountability Office (GAO) has identified as many as 15 federal agencies, including FDA and FSIS, as collectively administering at least 30 laws related to food safety. State and local food safety authorities collaborate with federal agencies for inspection and other food safety functions, and they regulate retail food establishments.\nThe combined efforts of the food industry and government regulatory agencies often are credited with making the U.S. food supply among the safest in the world. However, critics view this system as lacking the organization, regulatory tools, and resources to adequately combat foodborne illness\u2014as evidenced by a series of widely publicized food safety problems, including concerns about adulterated food and food ingredient imports, and illnesses linked to various types of fresh produce, to peanut products, and to some meat and poultry products. Some critics also note that the organizational complexity of the U.S. food safety system as well as trends in U.S. food markets\u2014for example, increasing imports as a share of U.S. food consumptions and increasing consumption of fresh, often unprocessed, foods\u2014pose ongoing challenges to ensuring food safety. \nOver the years, GAO has published a series of reports highlighting how food safety oversight in the United States is fragmented and recommending broad restructuring of the nation\u2019s food safety system. Similar observations are noted in a series of food safety studies by the National Research Council (NRC) and the Institute of Medicine (IOM) that recommend that the core federal food safety responsibilities should reside within a single entity/agency, with a unified administrative structure, a clear mandate, a dedicated budget, and full responsibility for oversight of the entire U.S. food supply.\nThe 111th Congress passed comprehensive food safety legislation with the FDA Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA, P.L. 111-353). FSMA is the largest expansion of FDA\u2019s food safety authorities since the 1930s. Although numerous agencies share responsibility for regulating food safety, FSMA focused on foods regulated by FDA, amended FDA\u2019s existing structure and authorities, and did not directly address meat and poultry products under USDA\u2019s jurisdiction. Beyond these changes, some in Congress continue to push for additional policy reforms to address other perceived concerns about the safety of the U.S. food supply.",
      "type": "CRS Report",
      "typeId": "REPORTS",
      "active": true,
      "formats": [
        {
          "format": "HTML",
          "encoding": "utf-8",
          "url": "http://www.crs.gov/Reports/RS22600",
          "sha1": "7aaf5b366043994614021d54b5dc87265cbab4bc",
          "filename": "files/20160105_RS22600_7aaf5b366043994614021d54b5dc87265cbab4bc.html",
          "images": null
        },
        {
          "format": "PDF",
          "encoding": null,
          "url": "http://www.crs.gov/Reports/pdf/RS22600",
          "sha1": "89fb2a81afd00bb2ee8de97f7828cb0d1482fb9d",
          "filename": "files/20160105_RS22600_89fb2a81afd00bb2ee8de97f7828cb0d1482fb9d.pdf",
          "images": null
        }
      ],
      "topics": [
        {
          "source": "IBCList",
          "id": 2621,
          "name": "Food Safety"
        },
        {
          "source": "IBCList",
          "id": 3116,
          "name": "Animal Agriculture"
        }
      ]
    },
    {
      "source": "University of North Texas Libraries Government Documents Department",
      "sourceLink": "https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc810563/",
      "id": "RS22600_2015Jan22",
      "date": "2015-01-22",
      "retrieved": "2016-03-19T13:57:26",
      "title": "The Federal Food Safety System: A Primer",
      "summary": null,
      "type": "CRS Report",
      "typeId": "REPORT",
      "active": false,
      "formats": [
        {
          "format": "PDF",
          "filename": "files/20150122_RS22600_405d79d3a1a3630cccbc8339d866e0cd7aa7cd28.pdf"
        },
        {
          "format": "HTML",
          "filename": "files/20150122_RS22600_405d79d3a1a3630cccbc8339d866e0cd7aa7cd28.html"
        }
      ],
      "topics": []
    },
    {
      "source": "University of North Texas Libraries Government Documents Department",
      "sourceLink": "https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc276872/",
      "id": "RS22600_2014Jan17",
      "date": "2014-01-17",
      "retrieved": "2014-03-05T18:18:19",
      "title": "The Federal Food Safety System: A Primer",
      "summary": "This report discusses concerns about food safety, the resources required to ensure food safety, and whether federal food safety laws themselves, first enacted in the early 1900s, have kept pace with the significant changes that have occurred in the food production, processing, and marketing sectors since then.",
      "type": "CRS Report",
      "typeId": "REPORT",
      "active": false,
      "formats": [
        {
          "format": "PDF",
          "filename": "files/20140117_RS22600_5523d4298a3168ff8ffa652121e3e21806602837.pdf"
        },
        {
          "format": "HTML",
          "filename": "files/20140117_RS22600_5523d4298a3168ff8ffa652121e3e21806602837.html"
        }
      ],
      "topics": [
        {
          "source": "LIV",
          "id": "Food",
          "name": "Food"
        },
        {
          "source": "LIV",
          "id": "Food safety",
          "name": "Food safety"
        },
        {
          "source": "LIV",
          "id": "Agriculture",
          "name": "Agriculture"
        },
        {
          "source": "LIV",
          "id": "Animals",
          "name": "Animals"
        },
        {
          "source": "LIV",
          "id": "Medicine",
          "name": "Medicine"
        },
        {
          "source": "LIV",
          "id": "Veterinary medicine",
          "name": "Veterinary medicine"
        },
        {
          "source": "LIV",
          "id": "Hazardous substances",
          "name": "Hazardous substances"
        },
        {
          "source": "LIV",
          "id": "Food industry",
          "name": "Food industry"
        }
      ]
    },
    {
      "source": "University of North Texas Libraries Government Documents Department",
      "sourceLink": "https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc818771/",
      "id": "RS22600_2012Nov26",
      "date": "2012-11-26",
      "retrieved": "2016-03-19T13:57:26",
      "title": "The Federal Food Safety System: A Primer",
      "summary": null,
      "type": "CRS Report",
      "typeId": "REPORT",
      "active": false,
      "formats": [
        {
          "format": "PDF",
          "filename": "files/20121126_RS22600_eeb5fa1b453f364193c28d5147a43e488ea95f9f.pdf"
        },
        {
          "format": "HTML",
          "filename": "files/20121126_RS22600_eeb5fa1b453f364193c28d5147a43e488ea95f9f.html"
        }
      ],
      "topics": []
    },
    {
      "source": "University of North Texas Libraries Government Documents Department",
      "sourceLink": "https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc805455/",
      "id": "RS22600_2012Jan20",
      "date": "2012-01-20",
      "retrieved": "2016-03-19T13:57:26",
      "title": "The Federal Food Safety System: A Primer",
      "summary": null,
      "type": "CRS Report",
      "typeId": "REPORT",
      "active": false,
      "formats": [
        {
          "format": "PDF",
          "filename": "files/20120120_RS22600_94516cb452a646a07dca30daa984158c82203352.pdf"
        },
        {
          "format": "HTML",
          "filename": "files/20120120_RS22600_94516cb452a646a07dca30daa984158c82203352.html"
        }
      ],
      "topics": []
    },
    {
      "source": "University of North Texas Libraries Government Documents Department",
      "sourceLink": "https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc228151/",
      "id": "RS22600_2011Jan11",
      "date": "2011-01-11",
      "retrieved": "2013-11-05T18:07:05",
      "title": "The Federal Food Safety System: A Primer",
      "summary": "Report concerning food safety, the resources required to ensure food safety, and whether federal food safety laws themselves, first enacted in the early 1900s, have kept pace with the significant changes that have occurred in the food production, processing, and marketing sectors since then.",
      "type": "CRS Report",
      "typeId": "REPORT",
      "active": false,
      "formats": [
        {
          "format": "PDF",
          "filename": "files/20110111_RS22600_ad8f2dd205ce595f701ce8b028382dc4789bfcdf.pdf"
        },
        {
          "format": "HTML",
          "filename": "files/20110111_RS22600_ad8f2dd205ce595f701ce8b028382dc4789bfcdf.html"
        }
      ],
      "topics": [
        {
          "source": "LIV",
          "id": "Food",
          "name": "Food"
        },
        {
          "source": "LIV",
          "id": "Food safety",
          "name": "Food safety"
        },
        {
          "source": "LIV",
          "id": "Agriculture",
          "name": "Agriculture"
        },
        {
          "source": "LIV",
          "id": "Animals",
          "name": "Animals"
        },
        {
          "source": "LIV",
          "id": "Medicine",
          "name": "Medicine"
        },
        {
          "source": "LIV",
          "id": "Veterinary medicine",
          "name": "Veterinary medicine"
        },
        {
          "source": "LIV",
          "id": "Hazardous substances",
          "name": "Hazardous substances"
        },
        {
          "source": "LIV",
          "id": "Pesticides",
          "name": "Pesticides"
        },
        {
          "source": "LIV",
          "id": "Food industry",
          "name": "Food industry"
        }
      ]
    },
    {
      "source": "University of North Texas Libraries Government Documents Department",
      "sourceLink": "https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc31457/",
      "id": "RS22600_2010Dec15",
      "date": "2010-12-15",
      "retrieved": "2011-03-09T09:26:47",
      "title": "The Federal Food Safety System: A Primer",
      "summary": "The combined efforts of the food industry and the regulatory agencies often are credited with making the U.S. food supply among the safest in the world. Nonetheless, many food-related health issues persist. At issue is whether the current U.S. regulatory system has the resources and structural organization to protect consumers from these dangers. Also at issue is whether the federal food safety laws themselves, first enacted in the early 1900s, have kept pace with the significant changes that have occurred in the food production, processing, and marketing sectors since then.",
      "type": "CRS Report",
      "typeId": "REPORT",
      "active": false,
      "formats": [
        {
          "format": "PDF",
          "filename": "files/20101215_RS22600_e6bba84df823bca16a0097ddfcf12f84426f3829.pdf"
        },
        {
          "format": "HTML",
          "filename": "files/20101215_RS22600_e6bba84df823bca16a0097ddfcf12f84426f3829.html"
        }
      ],
      "topics": [
        {
          "source": "LIV",
          "id": "Food",
          "name": "Food"
        },
        {
          "source": "LIV",
          "id": "Food safety",
          "name": "Food safety"
        },
        {
          "source": "LIV",
          "id": "Agriculture",
          "name": "Agriculture"
        },
        {
          "source": "LIV",
          "id": "Animals",
          "name": "Animals"
        },
        {
          "source": "LIV",
          "id": "Medicine",
          "name": "Medicine"
        },
        {
          "source": "LIV",
          "id": "Veterinary medicine",
          "name": "Veterinary medicine"
        },
        {
          "source": "LIV",
          "id": "Hazardous substances",
          "name": "Hazardous substances"
        },
        {
          "source": "LIV",
          "id": "Pesticides",
          "name": "Pesticides"
        },
        {
          "source": "LIV",
          "id": "Food industry",
          "name": "Food industry"
        }
      ]
    },
    {
      "source": "University of North Texas Libraries Government Documents Department",
      "sourceLink": "https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc29748/",
      "id": "RS22600_2010Sep22",
      "date": "2010-09-22",
      "retrieved": "2010-12-04T14:26:25",
      "title": "The Federal Food Safety System: A Primer",
      "summary": "The combined efforts of the food industry and the regulatory agencies often are credited with making the U.S. food supply among the safest in the world. Nonetheless, many food-related health issues persist. At issue is whether the current U.S. regulatory system has the resources and structural organization to protect consumers from these dangers. Also at issue is whether the federal food safety laws themselves, first enacted in the early 1900s, have kept pace with the significant changes that have occurred in the food production, processing, and marketing sectors since then.",
      "type": "CRS Report",
      "typeId": "REPORT",
      "active": false,
      "formats": [
        {
          "format": "PDF",
          "filename": "files/20100922_RS22600_3fdbc2abfa4c1f66280c3f0e067b390ae0eb52d1.pdf"
        },
        {
          "format": "HTML",
          "filename": "files/20100922_RS22600_3fdbc2abfa4c1f66280c3f0e067b390ae0eb52d1.html"
        }
      ],
      "topics": [
        {
          "source": "LIV",
          "id": "Food",
          "name": "Food"
        },
        {
          "source": "LIV",
          "id": "Food safety",
          "name": "Food safety"
        },
        {
          "source": "LIV",
          "id": "Agriculture",
          "name": "Agriculture"
        },
        {
          "source": "LIV",
          "id": "Animals",
          "name": "Animals"
        },
        {
          "source": "LIV",
          "id": "Medicine",
          "name": "Medicine"
        },
        {
          "source": "LIV",
          "id": "Veterinary medicine",
          "name": "Veterinary medicine"
        },
        {
          "source": "LIV",
          "id": "Hazardous substances",
          "name": "Hazardous substances"
        },
        {
          "source": "LIV",
          "id": "Pesticides",
          "name": "Pesticides"
        },
        {
          "source": "LIV",
          "id": "Food industry",
          "name": "Food industry"
        }
      ]
    },
    {
      "source": "University of North Texas Libraries Government Documents Department",
      "sourceLink": "https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc491097/",
      "id": "RS22600_2010Aug18",
      "date": "2010-08-18",
      "retrieved": "2015-01-27T19:40:46",
      "title": "The Federal Food Safety System: A Primer",
      "summary": "Numerous federal, state, and local agencies share responsibilities for regulating the safety of the U.S. food supply, which many experts say is among the safest in the world. This report discusses various food safety proposals in Congress, as well as agencies with food safety related responsibilities.",
      "type": "CRS Report",
      "typeId": "REPORT",
      "active": false,
      "formats": [
        {
          "format": "PDF",
          "filename": "files/20100818_RS22600_94994c304241b8d4a227a7b894ace453c90eab50.pdf"
        },
        {
          "format": "HTML",
          "filename": "files/20100818_RS22600_94994c304241b8d4a227a7b894ace453c90eab50.html"
        }
      ],
      "topics": [
        {
          "source": "LIV",
          "id": "Food",
          "name": "Food"
        },
        {
          "source": "LIV",
          "id": "Food safety",
          "name": "Food safety"
        },
        {
          "source": "LIV",
          "id": "Agriculture",
          "name": "Agriculture"
        },
        {
          "source": "LIV",
          "id": "Animals",
          "name": "Animals"
        },
        {
          "source": "LIV",
          "id": "Medicine",
          "name": "Medicine"
        },
        {
          "source": "LIV",
          "id": "Veterinary medicine",
          "name": "Veterinary medicine"
        },
        {
          "source": "LIV",
          "id": "Hazardous substances",
          "name": "Hazardous substances"
        },
        {
          "source": "LIV",
          "id": "Food industry",
          "name": "Food industry"
        }
      ]
    },
    {
      "source": "University of North Texas Libraries Government Documents Department",
      "sourceLink": "https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc817581/",
      "id": "RS22600_2008Jun09",
      "date": "2008-06-09",
      "retrieved": "2016-03-19T13:57:26",
      "title": "The Federal Food Safety System: A Primer",
      "summary": null,
      "type": "CRS Report",
      "typeId": "REPORT",
      "active": false,
      "formats": [
        {
          "format": "PDF",
          "filename": "files/20080609_RS22600_f8b163b2db3e0a69b1b43f8cc1359f3c2c304983.pdf"
        },
        {
          "format": "HTML",
          "filename": "files/20080609_RS22600_f8b163b2db3e0a69b1b43f8cc1359f3c2c304983.html"
        }
      ],
      "topics": []
    },
    {
      "source": "University of North Texas Libraries Government Documents Department",
      "sourceLink": "https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc805318/",
      "id": "RS22600_2007Jun18",
      "date": "2007-06-18",
      "retrieved": "2016-03-19T13:57:26",
      "title": "The Federal Food Safety System: A Primer",
      "summary": null,
      "type": "CRS Report",
      "typeId": "REPORT",
      "active": false,
      "formats": [
        {
          "format": "PDF",
          "filename": "files/20070618_RS22600_f6a7dabb105ee6b7d4a202bd52869fec6bb14fbc.pdf"
        },
        {
          "format": "HTML",
          "filename": "files/20070618_RS22600_f6a7dabb105ee6b7d4a202bd52869fec6bb14fbc.html"
        }
      ],
      "topics": []
    },
    {
      "source": "University of North Texas Libraries Government Documents Department",
      "sourceLink": "https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc810885/",
      "id": "RS22600_2007Feb20",
      "date": "2007-02-20",
      "retrieved": "2016-03-19T13:57:26",
      "title": "The Federal Food Safety System: A Primer",
      "summary": null,
      "type": "CRS Report",
      "typeId": "REPORT",
      "active": false,
      "formats": [
        {
          "format": "PDF",
          "filename": "files/20070220_RS22600_28c3f236bd9bb90634a90d744b314ce11253619c.pdf"
        },
        {
          "format": "HTML",
          "filename": "files/20070220_RS22600_28c3f236bd9bb90634a90d744b314ce11253619c.html"
        }
      ],
      "topics": []
    },
    {
      "source": "University of North Texas Libraries Government Documents Department",
      "sourceLink": "https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc821477/",
      "id": "RS22600_2007Feb07",
      "date": "2007-02-07",
      "retrieved": "2016-03-19T13:57:26",
      "title": "The Federal Food Safety System: A Primer",
      "summary": "Numerous federal, state, and local agencies share responsibilities for regulating the safety of the U.S. food supply, which many experts say is among the safest in the world. Nevertheless, critics view this system as lacking the organization and resources to adequately combat foodborne illness, which sickens an estimated 76 million people and kills an estimated 5,000 each year in this country. The 110th Congress may face calls for a review of federal food safety agencies and authorities, and proposals for reorganizing them. Among the issues likely to arise are whether reform can improve oversight, and the cost to industry, consumers, and taxpayers. This report provides a brief introduction to the system and the debate on whether reorganization is needed.",
      "type": "CRS Report",
      "typeId": "REPORT",
      "active": false,
      "formats": [
        {
          "format": "PDF",
          "filename": "files/20070207_RS22600_a9959f8fee75ef713f556358bb92457f10c12ca4.pdf"
        },
        {
          "format": "HTML",
          "filename": "files/20070207_RS22600_a9959f8fee75ef713f556358bb92457f10c12ca4.html"
        }
      ],
      "topics": [
        {
          "source": "LIV",
          "id": "Food",
          "name": "Food"
        },
        {
          "source": "LIV",
          "id": "Food safety",
          "name": "Food safety"
        },
        {
          "source": "LIV",
          "id": "Agriculture",
          "name": "Agriculture"
        },
        {
          "source": "LIV",
          "id": "Animals",
          "name": "Animals"
        },
        {
          "source": "LIV",
          "id": "Medicine",
          "name": "Medicine"
        },
        {
          "source": "LIV",
          "id": "Veterinary medicine",
          "name": "Veterinary medicine"
        },
        {
          "source": "LIV",
          "id": "Hazardous substances",
          "name": "Hazardous substances"
        },
        {
          "source": "LIV",
          "id": "Food industry",
          "name": "Food industry"
        }
      ]
    }
  ],
  "topics": [
    "Agricultural Policy",
    "Economic Policy"
  ]
}