Food Safety
Overview
The United States food regulatory system has developed piecemeal over the last century, generating new rules and regulations in response to emerging food problems. As a result, an organizational structure allocates to various government agencies differing responsibilities for specific food safety concerns. A key to effective regulation within this complex and fragmented system is interagency cooperation and cooperation between these agencies and public and private stakeholders. Although this overview focuses on federal regulation of food safety, it is important to note that state regulatory agencies also play an important role in food safety regulation, especially in enforcement. Most notably, state regulatory agencies are primarily responsible for food sanitation and safe food handling by food retailers, foodservice providers, and food-vending operations. Read the full overview
Note: Recently added resources are posted at the top of the applicable sections.
Major Statutes
Regulations
21 C.F.R. Parts 1-99
Case Law
Administrative Law Decisions
Center Research Publications
or Are "The Times They Are A-Changin'"? (Roberts, 2008)
PowerPoint Presentation (Roberts, 2008)
Approaches to Regulation of the Beef Industry (Houston, 2006)
Authority to Take Photographs Under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (Fortin, 2006)
Congressional Research Service Reports
Food Safety
Animal Agriculture
Agricultural Law Bibliography
Introduction | Keyword Search | Browse Categories
Food and Drug Law
Fruits and Vegetables - Perishable Agricultural Commodities
Pesticides, Herbicides, Insecticides, Fungicides, Fertilizers
Torts, Insurance
Reference Resources
Food Irradiation
Foodborne and Diarrheal Diseases Branch
Food Safety Office
Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE)
Infectious Disease Information--Food-Related Disease?
Topic: Diet, Health, & Safety
Topic: Food Safety & Trade
Briefing Room: Industry Food Safety Actions
Topic: Food Safety
Topic: Food Safety Policy
Briefing Room: Traceability in the U.S. Food Supply
Publications: Food Safety
The Interplay of Regulation and Marketing Incentives in Providing Food Safety
(Ollinger and Moore, 2009)
Research Emphasis: A Safe Food Supply
Food Safety/Agriculture
National Ag Compliance Assistance Center: Food Safety
Food Safety/Pesticides
Regulating Pesticides
Food Quality Protection Act Background
Food Irradiation
Pesticides and Food: What You and Your Family Need to Know
Reportable Food Registry for Industry
Retail Food Protection: Food Code 2009
Guidelines for Starting a Food Business
FDA Enforcement Reports
FDA Guidance Documents for Regulated Industry
FDA Warning Letters & Responses
Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition
Compilation of FDA Laws and Regulations
Compilation of Food and Cosmetic Guidance Documents
Center for Veterinary Medicine
Office of Regulatory Affairs
FDA Codex Activities
Food Protection
Mobile Slaughter Unit Compliance Guide
"At Least Equal To" Guidelines for State Meat and Poultry Cooperative Inspection Programs
Regulations & Policies
Regulations, Directives & Notices
Compliance Guides Index
Meat and Poultry Hazards and Controls Guide (2005)
Safety and Security Guidelines for the Transportation and Distribution of Meat, Poultry, and
Egg Products (2005)
HAACP (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point)
HAACP Guidance Documents
State Departments of Health and Agriculture
U.S. Codex Office
Food and Nutrition Information Center
Food Safety Research Information Office
Hearing of Senate Agriculture Committee: Examining the Effects of Bovine Spongiform
Encephalopathy (BSE) on U.S. Imports and Exports of Cattle and Beef (Feb. 3, 2005)
U.S. House Committee Hearing on Government Reform: Question: What Is More
Scrambled Than an Egg? Answer: The Federal Food Inspection System (May 17, 2005)
House Agriculture Committee Report: National Uniformity for Food Act of 2005
(Feb. 28, 2006)
Senate Committee Report: Homeland Security Food and Agriculture Act of 2005
(Dec. 15, 2005)
Food Safety: Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry Committee
Food Irradiation: FDA Could Improve Its Documentation and Communication of Key Decisions
on Food Irradiation Petitions (GAO-10-309R)
Food Safety: FDA Has Begun to Take Action to Address Weaknesses in Food Safety Research,
But Gaps Remain (GAO-10-182R)
Food Safety: FDA Could Strengthen Oversight of Imported Food by Improving Enforcement
and Seeking Additional Authorities (GAO-10-699T)
Food Safety: Agencies Need to Address Gaps in Enforcement and Collaboration to Enhance
Safety of Imported Food (GAO-09-873)
Food Safety: FDA Should Strengthen Its Oversight of Food Ingredients Determined to Be K Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS) (GAO-10-246)
Veterinarian Workforce: Actions Are Needed to Ensure Sufficient Capacity for Protecting Public
and Animal Health (GAO-09-178)
Food Safety: Selected Countries' Systems Can Offer Insights into Ensuring Import Safety
and Responding to Foodborne Illness (GAO 08-794)
Food Safety: Improvements Needed in FDA Oversight of Fresh Produce (GAO 08-1047)
Plum Island Animal Disease Center: DHS and USDA Are Successfully Coordinating Current
Work, but Long-Term Plans Are Being Assessed (Dec. 19, 2005)
Mad Cow Disease: An Evaluation of a Small Feed Testing Program FDA Implemented in 2003
With Recommendations for Making the Program a Better Oversight Tool (Oct. 11, 2005)
Overseeing the U.S. Food Supply: Steps Should be Taken to Reduce Overlapping
Inspections and Related Activities (May 17, 2005)
Oversight of Food Safety Activities: Federal Agencies Should Pursue Opportunities
to Reduce Overlap and Better Leverage Resources (Mar. 30, 2005)
Mad Cow Disease: FDA's Management of the Feed Ban Has Improved, but Oversight
Weaknesses Continue to Limit Program Effectiveness (Feb. 25, 2005)
Food Safety: Experiences of Seven Countries in Consolidating Their Food Safety Systems
(Feb. 22, 2005)
Food Safety Publications Links
Mad Cow Disease Links
Posthearing Questions Related to Fragmentation and Overlap in the Federal Food Safety
System (May 26, 2004)
USDA & FDA Need to Better Ensure Prompt, Complete Recalls of Potentially Unsafe Food
(Oct. 2004)
Beef Exports (U.S. Int'l Trade Comm'n)
Climate Change: Implications for Food Safety (2008)
Pan-European Conference on Food Safety and Quality
International Portal for Food Safety, Animal and Plant Health (FAO)
Strategy for a Food Chain Approach to Food Safety and Quality
FAO Nutrition and Consumer Protection (Food Safety)
FAO Feed and Food Safety Gateway
National and EU Feed Legislation from FAOLEX Database
Veterinary Public Health and Feed and Food Safety (VPH)
FAO Animal Production and Health Division
Topic: Foodborne Diseases
Avian Influenza; Food Safety Issues
Health Topics: Food Safety
Food Safety Department
Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy
Codex Alimentarius (Joint FAO/WHO Food Standards Programme)
Understanding the Codex Alimentarius (2005)
Codex General Standard for Food Additives (GSFA) Online Database
FAO/WHO Model Food Law
Procedural Manual - Fifteenth Edition
Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures
SPS Agreement
Working Paper: Risk Assessment in the International Food Safety Policy Arena (Jackson
and Jansen, 2009)
European Food Safety Authority
Activities of the European Union: Food Safety
Food Safety: From the Farm to the Fork
Food and Feed Safety
BSE
The Future of Agriculture and Food in Europe
Food Safety, Health, and Consumer Affairs Policy (European Union in the U.S.)
Canada's BSE in North America Site
Food Standards Australia/New Zealand
Canadian Food Inspection Agency
Food Safety Authority of Ireland
United Kingdom Food Standards Agency
Regulation & Food Safety (International Dairy Foods Association)
International Food Information Council
in the Nation's Food Safety System (Food Safety Research Consortium, 2009)
Science in the Public Interest, 2007)
and Food Safety in America (Danko, 2005)