GAO Urges FDA to Adjust Food Safety Goals and Performance Measures
This week, the Governmental Accountability Office (GAO) published a new report entitled “FDA Can Build on Existing Efforts to Measure Progress and Implement Key Activities,” that analyzes the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA’s) work in a few areas, including feed and food safety. Their analysis includes an assessment of how the agency has fared since the passing of the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA).
FDA is responsible for overseeing the safety of about 80 percent of the nation’s food supply and for promoting good nutrition. Federal oversight of food safety has been on GAO’s high-risk list since 2007. According to FDA, FSMA aims to improve food safety by shifting FDA’s focus toward preventing food contamination, rather than responding to foodborne illnesses. GAO was asked to review FDA’s food safety- and nutrition-related activities and resources.