Brandon Keim
Science

FDA Loses Track of Imported Foods

In the wake of poisonings caused by Chinese pet food manufacturers who used plastic to thicken their products, the FDA’s role in inspecting imported foods has received increased scrutiny. Americans import five times more food than they did a decade ago. The FDA, experts say, just can’t keep up: Today, because of budget cuts, the […]

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In the wake of poisonings caused by Chinese pet food manufacturers who used plastic to thicken their products, the FDA's role in inspecting imported foods has received increased scrutiny.

Americans import five times more food than they did a decade ago. The FDA, experts say, just can't keep up:

Today, because of budget cuts, the agency is able to check only a tiny fraction of the 20 million imported products it is responsible for monitoring each year.

The FDA can inspect overseas plants, but it rarely has the money or staff to do so, say former officials and food safety scholars. Instead, the agency relies on spot checks at ports like Baltimore's. Nationwide, its inspectors review just 1 percent of shipments.

The FDA carries out fewer than 8,000 food inspections a year -- down from 35,000 in the 1970s. And despite heightened concerns about bioterrorism, the number of FDA inspectors is no higher than it was on Sept. 11, 2001.

Foreign food fears hit close to home [Baltimore Sun]

Image: Todd Lappin