Expert Recall

By Willie Bryant

We hear weekly, if not daily, that food manufacturers have conducted recalls of various food products (FDA) or of meat and meat products (USDA) due to situations that may result in injury or illness to the consuming public.  Recent notices from USDA reported several companies that inadequately processed and distributed meat products that have the potential for harm.  These food recalls beg the recurring question: how is it that the two agencies have extensive inspection programs and regulations in place yet unsafe foods still reach the marketplace? 

The USDA basically has the Inspector-in-the-plant approach. Inspectors are provided extensive specific training for the operations they are overseeing.  There may be one or several inspectors on hand during operating hours at larger facilities; there may be alternating day inspections at smaller firms, or the USDA may contract with state or local governments to cover smaller operations. 

The FDA on relies heavily on its regulated firms to follow strict sanitation guidelines and controls such as HACCP (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points) to keep products free of contamination.  The FDA has about 1600 investigators in its field operations to handle the agency’s official inventory of about 60,000 food producers and 90,000 additional firms covering pharmaceuticals, biologics, devices, veterinary products, and cosmetics.  The FDA uses a risk-based approach to inspections, most often inspecting those firms likely to experience problems.  It also utilizes state contract inspectors.

Both agencies are concerned about the highest levels of safety in our food supply.  The recent congressionally proposed Food Safety Enhancement Act is far reaching in its recommendations for food facilities, for government standardization requirements, and for labeling and identification of food facilities – and it provides FDA with the authority to order food recalls.

So is our food safety system broken?  No, it is not.  Our food regulatory agencies are among the best and we have the safest food supply in the world, but there is room for improvement.   As Congress requires increased regulatory oversight, it behooves the food industry (grower/producers, processors, manufacturers, and retailers) to be proactive in meeting new requirements before FDA knocks on the door.

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