Food Safety Still Lacking In U.S.
Food safety in the United States is not up to par. We are importing more and more of our food, but we do not have the resources to ensure that it is safe.
Americans now get 15 to 20 percent of all the food they consume from overseas. This includes two-thirds of our fruits and vegetables, and 80 percent of our shrimp and other seafood. Despite the nearly unavoidable nature of imported food, our government agencies lack the ability to properly inspect imported food for contaminants. We currently inspect only about 1 percent of all imported food, and Americans are getting sick as a result.
Our government has taken half-hearted measures to remedy this problem. Congress passed the Food Safety Modernization Act early this year, which was intended to help improve food safety standards in this country. The act included provisions for improving the safety of both domestic and imported food, including adding the ability of regulators to refuse food shipments from foreign facilities that do not allow U.S. inspections. The act also requires that importers verify the safety of the food they bring into the country.
But while this act is a step in the right direction, it is only lip service without the money to back it up. Not long after passing the act, the Republican-controlled House cut the FDA food safety budget by $205 million in its proposed 2012 budget, which would severely compromise the ability of regulators to implement any of the improvements entailed in the Food Safety Modernization Act.
Budget concerns are certainly an issue right now, and resources do need to be put where they can best create jobs, but the safety of the American people should not be compromised for some minor cost savings. We should be spending more money to ensure that our food is safe, not less.
Luckily the Senate budget proposal for next year does not look as dismal on this front as the House version. The Senate passed a $50 million increase for the FDA earlier this month, which is a small amount, but more desirable than cuts. With millions of Americans sickened by tainted food each year, we need all the help we can get in curbing the tide of toxic imported food.
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