By TIM THORNBERRY
Kentucky Correspondent

WASHINGTON, D.C. — A group of federal agencies met recently to discuss the issue of import safety including officials from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Food Safety and Inspection Service.

Food safety has come to the forefront of many consumers as the country has gone through one recall after another concerning food. The massive egg recall of last summer is but one recent incident that comes to mind. Food produced here is one thing and a concern all its own, but for imports, it’s a different matter all together.
Many food imports, in fact most by some accounts, don’t go through an inspection process, but rather straight to grocers’ shelves.

Pat El-Hinnawy, a public affairs officer with the FDA said the agency is working on both fronts to address food safety in this country.
“The President’s Food Safety Working Group has brought together experts from all federal agencies with responsibilities related to food safety, to improve the nation’s food safety system by prioritizing prevention, strengthening surveillance and enforcement, and improving response and recovery,” she said. “The FDA is continually striving to improve our oversight of the safety of imported food. To this end, the Agency is working with our regulatory partners, such as Customs and Border Protection (CBP), the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and state agencies, to better coordinate our efforts and to find new ways to collaborate. FDA also recognizes the need to continually update its systems and processes.”

The agency spells out its policy when it comes to the food importers on their website.

“Under provisions of the U.S. law contained in the U.S. Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act, importers of food products intended for introduction into U.S. interstate commerce are responsible for ensuring that the products are safe, sanitary, and labeled according to U.S. requirements. (All imported food is considered to be interstate commerce.) FDA is not authorized under the law to approve, certify, license or otherwise sanction individual food importers, products, labels or shipments. Importers can import foods into the United States without prior sanction by FDA, as long as the facilities that produce, store or otherwise handle the products are registered with FDA, and prior notice of incoming shipments is provided to FDA. Imported food products are subject to FDA inspection when offered for import at U.S. ports of entry. FDA may detain shipments of products offered for import if the shipments are found not to be in compliance with U.S. requirements. Both imported and domestically-produced foods must meet the same legal requirements in the United States.”

But with that said, much of the imported food Americans place on their tables doesn’t get inspected; seafood being a prime example.
Jim Tidwell, an aquaculture expert from Kentucky State University (KSU) said that almost none (less than 2 percent) of this imported seafood is inspected before it makes its way to the stores that sell it.

The economy undoubtedly has had a role in the amount of imported food being purchased by U.S. consumers, as it is generally cheaper to buy than locally-produced goods and Americans are used to and want an inexpensive food supply. Even with a spike in food prices globally, the U.S. enjoys some of the least expensive food of any country in the world.

According to the USDA, “Americans spend approximately 10 percent of their disposable income on food each year. Of that money, 58 percent is used to purchase food that is eaten at home and 42 percent is for food eaten away from home.”

Here, the Kentucky Farm Bureau Federation’s recent food price survey showed a decrease in food prices during the third quarter of this year. The survey looks at 40 basic grocery items, which fell on average by 1.9 percent from the same items surveyed in the second quarter.

The desire for a safer but still inexpensive food supply helped the state’s premier food marketing initiative take root and grow to the point as being recognized nationally. The Kentucky Proud program has worked over the last decade to get products from local farmers to restaurants and groceries all over the state.

That effort has been enhanced by such giant retailers as Wal-Mart, which recently announced it will increase the amount of produce grown by local farmers not only in this country but in its stores located all over the world.

It is the buying power of the world’s largest retailer that enables consumers to buy safe, local goods at the affordable price they want.

Those 10 federal agencies met for the Interagency Import Safety Conference to “focus on efforts to protect the health and safety of the American consumer and the environment from unsafe imports,” according to information released by the Environmental Protection Agency.

USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service Administrator Al Almanza attended the meeting representing that agency and posted comments afterward on the USDA blog. Almanza wrote, “The Interagency Import Safety Conference was organized by the Department of Homeland Security’s Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to bring agencies together, improve cooperation, and build collaboration. Our mutual goal with these efforts is ensuring the continued health and safety of the American consumer. Today marks us as one step closer to achieving our goal by focusing on food import safety cooperation.”

He added, “In December of last year, the Commercial Targeting and Analysis Center opened here in Washington, D.C. to provide agencies with shared resources, analysis and expertise necessary to improving the safety of imports. This, among other initiatives proposed by the Food Safety Working Group, will provide an appropriate forum to address the concerns expressed by consumers about the safety of the food they’re serving their families.”