Observations on Aflatoxin Detection and Control Activities of Federal, State, and Private Organizations
T-RCED-90-60: Published: Apr 2, 1990. Publicly Released: Apr 2, 1990.
Additional Materials:
- Full Report:
Contact:
GAO discussed the relative food safety risk of aflatoxin, a naturally occurring toxin produced by a common fungus, focusing on aflatoxin detection and control and the extent of aflatoxin in the U.S. corn crop. GAO noted that: (1) food safety experts considered aflatoxin to be a serious food safety concern, ranking it less serious than microbial and environmental contaminants and more serious than pesticide residues and additives; (2) aflatoxin could enter the food supply directly through such products as peanut butter or corn meal or indirectly in the milk or meat of animals eating aflatoxin-contaminated feed; (3) the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) did not believe the U.S. food supply to be at risk of dangerously high aflatoxin levels; (4) aflatoxin testing was difficult because of the large volume of grain involved and other testing problems; (5) various federal, state, and private groups had testing and quality control procedures to ensure food safety, market efficiency, and profitability; (6) FDA did not monitor all affected foods and feeds for aflatoxin, but did require food and feed manufacturers to comply with product quality control regulations; and (7) there was not adequate information to determine the extent of aflatoxin contamination in the U.S. corn crop.
Sep 16, 2020
Agriculture Spending:
Opportunities Exist for USDA to Identify Successes and Challenges of the Farmers to Families Food Box Program to Inform Future EffortsGAO-20-711R: Published: Sep 16, 2020. Publicly Released: Sep 16, 2020.
Sep 14, 2020
-
USDA Market Facilitation Program:
Information on Payments for 2019GAO-20-700R: Published: Aug 21, 2020. Publicly Released: Sep 14, 2020.
Aug 10, 2020
-
National Bio and Agro-defense Facility:
DHS and USDA Are Working to Transfer Ownership and Prepare for Operations, but Critical Steps RemainGAO-20-331: Published: Jul 10, 2020. Publicly Released: Aug 10, 2020.
May 7, 2020
-
Food Safety:
FDA and USDA Could Strengthen Existing Efforts to Prepare for Oversight of Cell-Cultured MeatGAO-20-325: Published: Apr 7, 2020. Publicly Released: May 7, 2020.
Apr 13, 2020
-
Priority Open Recommendations:
U.S. Department of AgricultureGAO-20-288PR: Published: Apr 6, 2020. Publicly Released: Apr 13, 2020.
Dec 23, 2019
-
Nutrition Assistance Programs:
Agencies Could Do More to Help Address the Nutritional Needs of Older AdultsGAO-20-18: Published: Nov 21, 2019. Publicly Released: Dec 23, 2019.
Dec 6, 2019
-
Imported Seafood Safety:
Actions Needed to Improve FDA Oversight of Import Alert Removal DecisionsGAO-20-62: Published: Nov 6, 2019. Publicly Released: Dec 6, 2019.
Nov 12, 2019
-
Irrigated Agriculture:
Technologies, Practices, and Implications for Water ScarcityGAO-20-128SP: Published: Nov 12, 2019. Publicly Released: Nov 12, 2019.
Oct 28, 2019
-
Dairy Cooperatives:
Potential Implications of Consolidation and Investments in Dairy Processing for FarmersGAO-19-695R: Published: Sep 27, 2019. Publicly Released: Oct 28, 2019.
Sep 9, 2019
-
Date Labels on Packaged Foods:
USDA and FDA Could Take Additional Steps to Reduce Consumer ConfusionGAO-19-407: Published: Sep 9, 2019. Publicly Released: Sep 9, 2019.
Looking for more? Browse all our products here
Explore our Key Issues on Agriculture and Food
Explore our other Key Issues here
