US President Barack Obama has proposed the establishment of a single food safety agency that will consolidate the responsibilities of the Food and Drug Administration, Food Safety Inspection Service, and other related agencies.
Proposed to be set up under the Department of Health and Human Services, the new agency is similar to the proposed Food Safety Act, which recommends an independent body for food safety.
Reuters quoted the financial year 2016 budget proposal as reading: "A single Federal food safety agency would provide focused, centralized leadership, a primary voice on food safety standards and compliance with those standards, and clear lines of responsibility and accountability that will enhance both prevention of and responses to outbreaks of food-borne illnesses."
Regulatory Affairs Professional Society has cited the White House as saying: "While FDA is responsible for most foods, FSIS is responsible for meat and poultry. While FSIS oversees processed egg products, FDA oversees shell eggs.
"FDA is responsible for seafood, but FSIS is responsible for catfish.
"FDA and FSIS can each have jurisdiction over the same category of food at different points in the food chain: a cheese pizza and its ingredients are regulated solely by FDA, but both agencies play roles in regulating the components and manufacturing of a pepperoni pizza.
"FSIS inspects manufacturers of packaged open-face meat or poultry sandwiches, while FDA inspects manufacturers of closed-face meat or poultry sandwiches."
According to the government data, 48 million Americans suffer from food-borne diseases every year, around 100,000 are hospitalized and thousands die.
Meanwhile, the FDA has sought $110m more funds from the budget for implementing the Food Safety Modernization Act signed into law by Obama in 2011.
