Dive Brief:
- Earlier this year, President Obama called for a single food safety agency that would bring together the fragmented agencies and departments that oversee food and food safety, and now more experts are weighing in.
- Two members of Congress proposed the Safe Food Act of 2015, which would create this consolidated food agency, among other provisions.
- Meanwhile, the FDA and EPA, who currently both oversee pesticides and toxic substances, will now share data to streamline the process. This way, both agencies can better assess the potentially risky effects these substances can have on people and the environment.
Dive Insight:
At times the current food safety regulatory system is confusing at best and ineffective at worst. Take, for example, a frozen pizza. Inspecting the cheese is the FDA's responsibility, while the USDA would ensure the safety of the meat. While not all parties are thrilled about the proposed food safety plan, it could alleviate some of this confusion and streamline inspection and approval processes.
Elsewhere in the FDA sphere, the agency is also looking into a redesign of sweetened food and beverage labels. The label change would add an extra line showing the amount of added sugar. However, the possible move has been wrought with controversy.