United States Government Publishing Office publisher pbl distributor dst United States Government Accountability Office Resources, Community, and Economic Development Division author aut Government Organization text government publication eng GAOREPORTS Legislative Agency Publications gao legislative 2010-08-12 U.S. Government Printing Office 1993-11-04 monographic deposited born digital GA 1.13:T-RCED-94-71 https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/GAOREPORTS-T-RCED-94-71 P0b002ee18039415a f:trc94071 DGPO 2010-08-12 2011-03-24 GAOREPORTS-T-RCED-94-71 machine generated eng fdlp REPORT GAOREPORTS-T-RCED-94-71 T-RCED-94-71 Food supply Food inspection Meat inspection Poultry inspection Contaminated foods Safety standards Interagency relations Food and drug law Agricultural products Consumer protection National Performance Review Testimony RCED The existing food safety system, which costs $1 billion annually, falls short in protecting the public from major food borne illnesses. The current system was developed in a patchwork fashion over the years--a series of responses to specific health threats from food. Efforts to ensure food safety continue to be hampered by inflexible and outdated inspection methods, inconsistent oversight and enforcement, and ineffective coordination. In GAO's view, the adoption of a risk-based approach to inspections could make products safer and cut costs as scarce resources are redirected from low-risk to high-risk operations. To obtain a uniform, risk-based inspection system, fundamental changes are needed. GAO believes that creating a single food safety agency is the most effective way for the federal government to overcome long-standing problems, deal with emerging food safety issues, and guarantee the safety of the nation's food. https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GAOREPORTS-T-RCED-94-71/html/GAOREPORTS-T-RCED-94-71.htm GAO/T-RCED-94-71 https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/GAOREPORTS-T-RCED-94-71 Testimony GAO/T-RCED-94-71; Food Safety: A Unified, Risk-Based System Needed to Enhance Food Safety; Food supply Food inspection Meat inspection Poultry inspection Contaminated foods Safety standards Interagency relations Food and drug law Agricultural products Consumer protection National Performance Review