Food safety is of major concern and one of the ten most prevalent public health issues discussed in the United States. One the federal level actions have been made to address the issue of food safety. As years, have passed the quality of food in the country has (in the opinions of some), diminished. There are more fast food restaurants, processed food sold in supermarkets than ever before. People in the U.S. have also experienced obesity earlier in life and at a higher degree. Food safety must be addressed not just for adverse health reasons, but to help tackle the obesity epidemic in this country.
The United States federal government has taken steps towards improving the food safety system. The most recent step was the FDA Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA). Signed into law on January 4 rth, 2015 by President Obama, the act grants the FDA the ability to strengthen the food safety system and thus help better safeguard public health interest. "FSMA...
In doing so, the statute explicitly recognizes that all food safety agencies need to work together in an integrated way to achieve public health goals" (FDA, 2015). This act is major step forward in controlling an unstable system that had led to proliferation of health problems in the United States due to higher access to low quality foods and diminished access to high quality foods. The new system will have a foundation of prevention and make steps towards removing some of the low-quality foods that appear to make a negative impact on public health. The state and local governments are not lagging.
State and local governments are participating in what is called 'enhanced collaboration'. Enhanced collaboration is something the FSMA wants to provide on all levels of the new food safety system. Collaboration will enable a better understanding of the kind of problems ahead and what efforts may lead to effective, long-term solutions. Through the FSMA the FDA has a new multiyear grant instrument in
place that enables investment on the state level to allow for more effective achievement of food safety goals across the state and nationally. The overall objective is to successfully integrate local, state and federal agencies into a new food safety system that promotes prevention and sustained food quality.
Integration means leveraging efforts and following a common risk-based strategy that prioritizes…
