Food Safety Issues in the 109th Congress (CRS Report for Congress)
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| Release Date |
Revised June 16, 2005 |
| Report Number |
RL31853 |
| Report Type |
Report |
| Authors |
Donna U. Vogt, Domestic Social Policy Division |
| Source Agency |
Congressional Research Service |
| Older Revisions |
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Summary:
Foodborne illness is a serious public health problem. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimate that each year in the United States, 76 million people get sick, 325,000 are hospitalized, and 5,000 die from food-related illnesses. There are many who maintain that these estimates understate the problem because many people do not seek medical help for foodborne illness and so those episodes of illness are not included in official counts. Most consumers look to the government to regulate and protect the food supply, and industry is interested in producing foods that are safe at a reasonable price. Consequently, Congress is interested in oversight and legislation in this area. Several federal agencies, along with cooperating agencies in the states, are responsible for assuring the safety, wholesomeness, and proper labeling of all foods. The responsibilities under the current federal system are divided among two departments and one independent agency. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) regulates meat, poultry, and certain egg products while the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), in the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), sets and enforces standards for safety of all other domestic and imported foods. [â¦] The CDC, also part of DHHS, tracks foodborne illness outbreaks. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) sets legal limits (tolerances) on the amounts of pesticide residues allowed in or on food. [â¦] Food safety issues consider food security, 'mad cow' threats to the food supply, new enforcement authorities for FDA and USDA, the safety of school lunches and methylmercury in fish. [â¦] This report will be updated regularly.
