Challenges Remain in FDA's Inspections of Domestic Food Facilities

Each year roughly 48 million people in the United States get sick, 128,000 are hospitalized, and 3,000 die of foodborne diseases. To protect against foodborne illnesses, FDA inspects food facilities to ensure both food safety and compliance with regulations. Congress passed the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA), which enabled FDA to focus more on preventing food safety problems rather than reacting to them after the fact. FSMA requires FDA to inspect domestic food facilities within certain timeframes.