(NewsNation) — The U.S. is conducting fewer inspections of foreign facilities that supply most of the nation’s fruits, seafood and processed foods, according to a new report from ProPublica.
The Food and Drug Administration oversees about 80% of the U.S. food supply, but only 40% of those facilities are located within the United States.
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Critics have warned that reduced oversight increases the risk of contaminated or mishandled products entering the country, and have said it’s only a matter of time before a major outbreak occurs.
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ProPublica’s investigation found that FDA inspectors documented filthy conditions — including crawling insects and dirty equipment — inside some foreign factories that ship food to the U.S., as well as falsified testing data.
But due to deep staffing and travel cuts, those inspectors are visiting far less often. Foreign facility inspections, the only way to verify safety conditions firsthand, have dropped to their lowest level since the Food Safety Modernization Act took effect in 2011.
That law required the FDA to complete more than 19,000 foreign food inspections annually by 2016 and increase its food field staff to at least 5,000 workers. The agency has never met those targets, ProPublica found. Even before the second Trump administration, it was conducting less than 10% of the inspections mandated by Congress.
Before the pandemic, the FDA conducted about 1,000 foreign inspections per year. Last year, it managed fewer than 200.
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Trump staffing cuts impact food inspections
About two dozen current and former FDA officials told ProPublica the decline stems from staffing cuts made under the Trump administration — a dramatic shift in oversight as the U.S. grows more reliant on imported food. Currently, foreign sources provide most of the nation’s seafood and more than half of its fresh fruit, according to ProPublica.
During the early weeks of the new Trump administration, inspections continued as planned. But a wave of firings, retirements and buyouts soon gutted the FDA’s workforce, derailing efforts to rebuild its inspection program.
Although the administration initially promised food safety inspectors would be spared, critical investigative support staff were cut by March in a move that former FDA employees told ProPublica effectively crippled the agency’s ability to monitor overseas facilities.
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Officials said the agency plans to resume and expand unannounced inspections overseas, but acknowledged they still lack sufficient personnel to meet targets.
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The FDA has begun rehiring more than 20 staff members to plan and support inspection trips, though many roles remain vacant.
After years of missed inspection targets, the Government Accountability Office has urged Congress to establish more precise inspection targets and timelines.
Food safety experts warn of holiday risks
With the busy holiday season approaching, experts have warned problems at overseas plants could go undetected until after imported foods hit American shelves.
Consumers have been urged to stay informed by checking FDA recall alerts, especially for high-risk imports like seafood, spices and frozen fruits, which are among the most frequently contaminated.
