Domestic Food Safety: FDA Could Improve Inspection Program to Make Better Use of Resources
HRD-89-125
Published: Sep 27, 1989. Publicly Released: Sep 27, 1989.
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Highlights
Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO reviewed the Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) inspections of domestic food firms, focusing on the: (1) criteria FDA used to select firms for inspections; (2) frequency with which FDA inspected firms with low risks for product adulteration; and (3) results of those inspections.
Recommendations
Recommendations for Executive Action
| Agency Affected | Recommendation | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Department of Health and Human Services | To more efficiently and effectively use the resources FDA devotes to domestic food sanitation inspections, the Secretary of Health and Human Services should direct the Commissioner, FDA, to review the FDA inventory of food firms and reduce its inspection of firms that the states routinely inspect as part of their own programs. |
Closed – Implemented
FDA examined FY 1988 through 1990 data to improve inventory of firms inspected by FDA or through state contract inspections and refined inspectional targeting criteria.
|
| Department of Health and Human Services | To more efficiently and effectively use the resources FDA devotes to domestic food sanitation inspections, the Secretary of Health and Human Services should direct the Commissioner, FDA, to develop a policy on the frequency of food inspections that incorporates the use of statistical sampling to monitor low-risk, nonproblem firms. |
Closed – Implemented
While FDA does not believe that it can inspect a valid sample of food establishments with its present resources, it agreed to remind its district offices to use agency directives when meeting with state officials to discuss inspection coverage, including transfer of "high risk" firms for inspection under state contracts.
|
| Department of Health and Human Services | To more efficiently and effectively use the resources FDA devotes to domestic food sanitation inspections, the Secretary of Health and Human Services should direct the Commissioner, FDA, to instruct FDA district offices to target all firms with histories of violations, including those identified by state contract inspections, in its plans for future inspections. |
Closed – Not Implemented
FDA believes that agency follow-up of violations in firms inspected by states is not necessary. However, FDA will stress to its personnel the need to follow-up on agency-identified inspections.
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Topics
Agency proceedingsConsumer protectionContaminated foodsEvaluation criteriastate relationsFood inspectionFood safetyRegulatory agenciesSafety regulationState-administered programs