FDA may shift routine food inspections to states

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) may soon delegate routine food safety inspections to state and local officials, as per multiple federal health officials speaking to CBS News.

These proposed changes are still in the discussion stage and would need approval and funding from Congress. The objective is to allow federal staff to focus on higher priority or foreign inspections.

“The claim that the FDA is suspending routine food safety inspections is false,” clarified an FDA spokesperson. “FDA is actively working on ensuring operational continuity during the reorganization period and remains committed to ensuring critical programs and inspections continue.”

Currently, the FDA already collaborates with 43 states and Puerto Rico for certain routine inspections.

According to a Government Accountability Office report, states have been responsible for about one-third of routine inspections in recent years.

“There’s so much work to go around. Duplicating their work just doesn’t make sense,” shared a former FDA official who was involved in the plans before departing the agency, speaking anonymously to CBS News.

The FDA oversees the safety of various foods, including packaged goods, seafood, eggs, and produce. Meat products are handled by a separate agency within the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).

Under the proposed plan, some inspections deemed higher risk would still be conducted by the FDA. For example, inspections of infant formula manufacturers and foreign food facilities would remain under FDA jurisdiction, as reported by CBS News.

The fate of states without inspection contracts, such as Hawaii and Delaware, remains uncertain.

In addition to routine checks, the FDA is also involved in investigating food-related issues. For instance, inspectors identified numerous violations during a visit to a Colorado onion processor last year, which was linked to an E.coli outbreak.

The idea of transferring food inspections to states gained momentum after the enactment of major food safety laws in 2010. Some states and experts have argued that states can conduct inspections more cost-effectively while maintaining the same standards, according to CBS News.

“FDA audits have found state inspections to be of high quality, and the costs indicate that they provide good economic value. Managing two systems simultaneously also comes with significant costs,” stated Steve Mandernach, executive director of the Association of Food and Drug Officials.

Mandernach drew parallels to how the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services rely on states for inspecting hospitals and nursing homes while retaining federal oversight. This model is already successful for produce farms, with many states conducting inspections through local agriculture departments, he added.

The FDA has been experiencing delays in overseas inspections and areas like medical products. Leveraging state workers for routine inspections could help alleviate this backlog, officials have noted.

The agency recently laid off a significant number of support staff and might enlist external contractors to help bridge the gap.

“In theory, relying on states to handle more routine food inspection work could enhance food safety,” commented Thomas Gremillion, director of food policy at the Consumer Federation of America, in an email to CBS News.

However, Gremillion cautioned that implementing such a change safely would require time and resources.

“So far, this Administration has shown a reckless disregard for the impact of its policies on the detection and prevention of foodborne illnesses,” Gremillion added.

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