The new law allows FDA to hold foods they believe may pose a serious health
threat, gives the agency authority to prevent “bad actors” from
attempting to ship adulterated foods that pose serious health risks into the
United States, mandates limited new record keeping, and gives federal inspectors
access for the purpose of determining whether a food poses a serious health
threat, and to trace the immediate source and distribution of suspect food.
Despite these new powers for federal regulators, Cady thinks the new law moves
in the right direction. “The investment and careful targeting of new resources
is the first step and the top priority in addressing our government’s
food security responsibilities,” Cady said, citing the industry’s
support for more inspectors at ports of entry, and improving the agency’s
information tracking systems. “These new food authorities in this legislation
are not perfect, and we remain concerned about how they will be implemented,”
he added.