A year after the 9/11 attacks, Congress decided to require the nation’s food suppliers to keep copious records of who they buy from and sell to in order to maintain a safe and healthy food chain for Americans and to minimize the risk of terrorists using food to strike at the country. But the inspector general of the Department of Health and Human Services has discovered that, despite the requirements of the anti-bioterrorism law, only 40% of suppliers are properly keeping their records. One quarter of those contacted by inspectors said they were not even aware of the federal requirements, while others complained that the recordkeeping was too difficult.

 

The news proved to be yet another black mark for the Food and Drug Administration, the nation’s watchdog for food safety, which has routinely failed to prevent tainted foods from reaching consumers, including peanuts, spinach, lettuce, and seafood. The report by the inspector general raises questions about the capability of FDA enforcement, and whether Congress should bother proceeding with even tougher record-keeping requirements if FDA can’t begin to enforce the original rules passed in 2002. The new rules under consideration on Capitol Hill would expand the bioterrorism reporting requirements to cover farms and restaurants, which are currently exempt.

-Noel Brinkerhoff

 

Lack of Adequate Records Limits FDA (by Jane Zhang, Wall Street Journal)

Traceability In The Food Supply Chain (Inspector General, Dept of Health and Human Services) (PDF)