FDA inspection gaps raise US food safety concerns

A recent investigation reveals that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) inspects only a small fraction of foreign facilities that supply fresh produce to the United States. Since 2009, the agency has inspected just 7.6% of such facilities. The oversight gap is most significant in Mexico, the country’s largest produce exporter, where the FDA has inspected only about 2% of facilities.

This lack of physical inspection follows major foodborne illness outbreaks. A Cyclospora outbreak linked to lettuce from central Mexico reportedly sickened thousands of people, with some reports citing up to 20,000 illnesses and multiple deaths. In one instance, the FDA had not inspected the specific Mexican supplier involved in a major outbreak for seven years.

While a 2011 congressional mandate directed the FDA to conduct 19,200 annual foreign inspections, the agency completed only 1,024 visits last year, reaching approximately 5% of its target. Experts attribute this shortfall to chronic underfunding, understaffing, and high travel costs. The FDA maintains that site visits are only one part of its strategy, which also utilizes border testing, record audits, and predictive algorithms to monitor imports.