The Food and Drug Association (FDA) oversees nearly 80% of the United States’ food supply, including vegetables, fruits, processed and packaged foods, and seafood.

Millions of Americans annually suffer from foodborne illnesses, highlighting the importance of food-related inspections. As per the Government Accountability Office, the FDA has failed to meet the mandated inspection targets for domestic and foreign food facilities since 2018.

• Average annual domestic inspections by the FDA (2018-2023): 8,353; however, high-risk facilities were not inspected as mandated due to COVID-19 disruptions.

• Foreign inspections: Only 9% of the FDA's annual target of 19,200 foreign inspections were met in 2019, with an average of just 917 inspections per year.

• As of July 2024, the FDA had only 432 investigators, which is about 90% of its capacity, hampering inspection efforts.

The Government Accountability Office (GAO) recommended

• The US Congress should direct the FDA to determine and communicate realistic annual foreign inspection targets.

  • The FDA should improve procedures to minimize incomplete inspections and establish a performance management process for food safety.