FDA Food Inspections “Sharply Reduced” Amid Partial Government Shutdown
In an interview with The Washington Post, U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Commissioner Scott Gottlieb said that food inspections have been “sharply reduced” due to the partial government shutdown ordered by President Donald Trump. The shutdown, currently in its 19th day, is the President’s response to not yet receiving Democratic approval for funding a wall along the U.S./Mexico border.
As a result of the shutdown, FDA is not conducting routine inspections of domestic food processing facilities. However, Gottlieb says he’s working on a plan to get FDA inspectors back to work as early as next week, specifically to inspect high-risk facilities that handle food items such as seafood, some cheese products, and vegetables, or facilities that have a documented history of food safety issues.