What Legislation Sets the Minimum Food Safety Requirements

The ongoing internationalization of U.S. food supply presents a unique challenge. As food imports into the United States have increased dramatically over the past generation, questions have been raised about the government`s ability to ensure the safety of imported food (GAO, 1998). The production, processing, and shipment of U.S.-produced food can theoretically be subject to government control from field to fork, but imported food is not subject to such oversight. Most federal food safety research is conducted or administered by: The national food safety policy of each food manufacturer may also vary due to the variety of products and resources in each country. Different countries may have their own interpretations of food laws and regulations. Some laws in one country may not apply to the other. Nevertheless, their overall main objective is similar, namely to protect the interests and health of consumers. There are food safety laws that cover certain aspects of food supply, trade, manufacturing and distribution. As in any other industry, laws are created and implemented by governing bodies. In the United States, there are at least a dozen levels of government agencies that make up the food defense system. Of the federal agencies, three are known to play a key role in implementing hospitality regulations and standards, conducting research and imposing penalties for non-compliance. It lists the deadliest foodborne illness incidents in recent decades: the time, attention, energy and resources required to achieve the ambitious goal of reshaping the public`s food handling practices must be recognized.

Sufficient resources and sustained program efforts over several years will be required. Many causes compete for public attention, and professionals and community volunteers who are called upon to support the campaign have competing demands on their time. A recent statement by Dr. C. Everett Koop in a report by an independent food safety education panel underscores the critical importance of the goal: “Putting the country`s resources to work for public education on safe food handling is not only logical, but absolutely essential. Now is the time to give this investment in foundational information and public awareness the attention it deserves. (Partnership for Food Safety Education, 1997a). Cultural factors also play a role in the public`s responses to food safety issues. Public acceptance of risk and demand for protection have been described as being associated with values and perspectives related to factors such as freedom of choice, government regulation, understanding of technology, credibility of science, preference for homemade or natural foods, and attribution of risk to fate (Dale and Wildavsky, 1991; Douglas, 1985; Douglas and Wildavsky, 1982; Fitchen, 1987; NRC, 1989). Four agencies play an important role in implementing food safety regulatory activities: the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), part of the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS); Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA); the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA); and the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) of the Department of Commerce.

More than 50 interinstitutional agreements have been drawn up to link the activities of the different agencies. It is strongly advised to read and understand the legislation relating to your operation. Public health inspectors are available to help you understand the requirements. For more information, contact your health inspector at 705.522.9200, ext. 464 (toll-free 1.888.522.9200). The Ministry of Health recommends that at least one certified food retailer be present in the establishment during all hours of operation in all food establishments classified as high or moderate. NMFS conducts voluntary inspections of fish processing plants, fishing vessels and seafood products. The FDA has regulatory responsibility for seafood safety, and the NMFS coordinates its inspection efforts with the FDA`s Office of Seafood Safety. The FDA, in collaboration with the seafood industry, adopted a mandatory HACCP program for seafood products in late 1995 (FDA, 1995). In addition to these regulatory agencies, other federal agencies such as NOAA`s Seafood Inspection Program, the Environmental Protection Agency, and U.S.

Customs and Border Protection are involved in food safety. In some cases, it is known that some food establishments have dual responsibilities when they manufacture products regulated by two different jurisdictions. The Food Operations Regulations of the Public Health Act set out food safety requirements for businesses that process or prepare food and sell food to the public. Health authorities shall be responsible for authorising, authorising and inspecting and responding to complaints concerning food business establishments in accordance with this Regulation. Prior to 1906, there were no laws on food safety and on the production, production and distribution of food. Laws are usually drafted after severe epidemics and not as a preventive measure. Current food safety laws are enforced by the FDA and FSIS. The FDA regulates all foods produced in the United States, with the exception of meat, poultry, and egg products, which are regulated by FSIS. [15] The following is a list of all food safety laws, amendments and laws that have been introduced in the United States.

[22] [14] Many federal oversight programs rely on cooperation with government agencies in certain aspects of administration. For example, the FDA has a memorandum of understanding with the National Conference on Interstate Milk Shipments, a voluntary organization of state officials under which states conduct much of the oversight and enforcement to monitor the safety and digestibility of fresh milk and cream. Part of this responsibility is testing milk and cream for veterinary drug residues. Some of the FDA`s contracts with states include programs to monitor pesticide residues in food, drug residues in edible animal tissues, and toxins in shellfish. The FDA is responsible for overseeing approximately 53,000 national food establishments (Rawson and Vogt, 1998). In fiscal year 1997, the FDA spent 2,728 man-years on food safety activities (Lisa Siegel, FDA, personal note to the Committee, July 1998). Food safety absorbs about 23.5% of the FDA`s budget each year (OMB, 1998). In 1997, this represented approximately $203 million for food safety oversight, risk assessment, research, inspection and education, out of the FDA`s total budget of $997 million (Appendix E; Lisa Siegel, FDA, personal note to the Committee, July 1998). The bulk of the FDA`s budget is devoted to its non-food responsibilities, including pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, and medical devices.

The Agency`s culture and public image have been dominated by its drug approval mission. Since it might be difficult to prove that the disease was actually diet-related and attribute it to a particular product, the risk of having to compensate consumers for the harm caused is unlikely to be a significant incentive for food safety. However, food vendors that are or are supposed to be dangerous are exposed to enormous public relations risks, which often prove more effective in “regulating” the industry. The public is quick to avoid entire categories of supposedly spoiled foods, as confirmed by sellers of cranberries (the fear of pesticides in 1959), apples (the fear of Alar in 1989) and strawberries (the fear of ciclospora in California, which turned out to be caused by raspberries, in 1996). Because many unprocessed foods do not have a brand name, food safety failures can hurt diligent and negligent producers. Branded food manufacturers are realizing that a recall or issue with one of their products will negatively impact their product lines. Most large food companies therefore try to work with suppliers and retailers to ensure that their products are safely stored outside their immediate premises. The brand name is what the consumer sees.

The Department of Health administers the Safe Food Act, except for food establishments where animals are slaughtered for food purposes (i.e., slaughterhouses).