The regulatory system for ensuring food safety and quality in the United States is comprised of local, state, federal, and international agencies. The federal system alone consists of numerous laws and involves 12 different agencies, including the newly formed Office of Homeland Security, which have major roles in carrying out food safety and quality activities. This segmentation of responsibility has been addressed through extensive efforts to coordinate various agencies’ activities. In fact, there are more than 50 interagency agreements involving major agencies with food safety authority to help avoid wasteful duplication of effort, conflicting actions, and gaps in coverage.
This system of government agencies forms one of the most thorough and effective food safety networks in the world.
