WASHINGTON — Five years after Congress passed a landmark law meant to prevent the importation of contaminated food, the Food and Drug Administration on Friday made final new rules that for the first time put the main responsibility on companies for policing the food they import. The rules also include new safety standards for produce grown on American farms. Some take effect in a year.
The new rules require importers to show that the food they bring into the United States meets American safety standards. They would do that by hiring third-party auditors to check the safety of the food in foreign facilities, a system some consumer advocates had cautioned might give companies too much discretion but federal officials argue is the standard for the food industry and will be brought under the spotlight of federal oversight.
“This the first time the food importers have fallen directly under FDA regulation,” said Michael R. Taylor, the agency’s deputy commissioner for foods and veterinary medicine. He cited the recent outbreak of salmonella in imported cucumbers that killed four Americans and hospitalized more than 150 as a prime example of what the rule is intended to prevent. “We think it’s a big step forward.”
The safety of the food supply is a critical public health issue. One in every 6 Americans becomes ill from eating contaminated food each year, according to the FDA. About 128,000 are hospitalized and 3,000 die.
The produce rule sets standards for growing, harvesting, packing and storing produce on farms in the United States. It includes requirements for water quality, employee health and hygiene, and manure and compost use.
Sandra Eskin, director of food safety at The Pew Charitable Trusts, said the rule means that “for the first time, we have nationwide enforceable safety standards for fruits and vegetables consumed raw.”
The rules were broadly praised by consumer advocates and industry as a substantial advance in food safety.
In 2013, the Agriculture Department estimated that imported food accounted for 19 percent of the U.S. food supply, including 52 percent of the fresh fruits and 22 percent of the fresh vegetables. The FDA tries to keep tabs on imports, but it inspects only 1 to 2 percent of imports at American ports and borders.
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