Because of the government shutdown, the Food and Drug Administration sent thousands of its workers home on furloughs. As a result, routine food inspections and imported food inspections have stopped.
There is an on-going national debate as to which production method is better. Hen housing is the primary focus of proposed federal legislation that would replace current, state-level guidelines for housing and production practices.
It’s been almost three years since more than 500 million eggs were recalled in 2010 because of an outbreak of Salmonella that caused nearly 2,000 illnesses - the largest outbreak of its kind on record. Yet under a new egg safety plan approved shortly before the recall, all egg production facilities
In a review of some 600 swine slaughtering plants, the Office of the Inspector General focused on 30 plants that raised red flags. Onsite visits by the OIG revealed inspectors were not following proper steps to ensure diseased meat does not enter the food supply.
