Expert Recall

By Mike Rozembajgier

There’s been a lot of commentary online of late from both sides of the most current food safety regulatory debate. Should we keep the current structure for food safety functions, or merge the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service into one regulatory body?

The Obama administration showed its hand in a recent Hagstrom Report newsletter that noted the president is considering merging food safety responsibilities under a single agency. But this is a warmed-over concept. Nearly a year ago, the Government Accountability Office released a report recommending the same structure. And consumer advocates have been recommending it for decades. Under this arrangement, all processed and packaged goods, produce, meat, dairy and produce would be regulated by the same agency.

This seems on its surface to be an easy solution to simplify the current regulatory environment for the food industry, which can be quite complex and confusing to navigate. But it’s not as easy as it sounds. What Congressional committee chairmen will want to relinquish their fragmented oversight authority? Then there’s the heartburn such an arrangement will create among manufacturers and retailers who will be forced to adjust to a new and likely more rigid regulatory environment.

Food Safety News has also published commentary on the theory of a single regulatory agency by Dr. Richard Raymond, the former Undersecretary for Food Safety for the U.S. Department of Agriculture. He takes a dim view of the idea.

What are your thoughts on the issue of regulating the food industry to ensure food safety? As business executives, managers and lawyers, what about the notion of a single food safety agency makes you nervous? Conversely, what opportunities do you think it creates for you? Your comments are most welcome.

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