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Safety and Inspection Issues of Food Imported into the United States: Case of the State of Texas

Desire LUKUSA
Sep 2
3 min read

By Desire LUKUSA

The 2021 Food and Farm Facts indicate that Americans enjoy a food supply that is abundant, affordable and among the world's safest, thanks in large part to the efficiency and productivity of America's farm and ranch families. In 2017, the National Agricultural Statistics Service indicated that "the cattle and calves, corn, and soybeans were the top three United States farm products." However, according to the Minnesota Department of Agriculture (2018), the U.S. imported $4.6 billion in agricultural products from China in 2017, and the top U.S. import commodities from China are fruits and vegetables (fresh/processed), snack food, spices, and tea. World Bank data show that in 2020, "the top partner countries from which United States Imports Food Products include Mexico, Canada, France, Italy, and Singapore." According to the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), "the United States imports about 15% of its overall food supply. Today more than 200 countries or territories and roughly 125,000 food facilities plus farms supply approximately 32% of the fresh vegetables, 55% of the fresh fruit, and 94% of the seafood that Americans consume annually." At the same time, less than 1% of all food shipments into the United States are inspected upon entry (Kuldau, 2022).


"In 2011, Congress passed the FDA Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA), shifting the focus of federal regulators from responding to contamination to preventing it. Determining the best way to use the full range of available tools across the different segments of the international food-supply chain — in ways that decrease public health risks while maintaining a level playing field for domestic and foreign producers — requires both dexterity and pragmatism." The FDA has recently released a strategy document describing how it is integrating the new import oversight tools with existing tools as part of a comprehensive approach to imported food safety.


The strategy is guided by four goals:


  • Goal 1: Food Offered for Import Meets U.S. Food Safety Requirements

  • Goal 2: FDA Border Surveillance Prevents Entry of Unsafe Foods

  • Goal 3: Rapid and Effective Response to Unsafe Imported Food

  • Goal 4: Effective and Efficient Food Import Program


Regarding the state of Texas, Whitlock (2021) mentioned that common imported food items that would be difficult to grow in Texas or other U.S. states include coffee, limes, bananas, and avocados. More than 99% of those items consumed in the U.S. are imported from another country, along with about 90% of tomatoes and 52% of orange juice. Our concern is whether or not the 4 FDA's goals can be verified for foods that are imported into Texas from Mexico.


Reference


  1. American Farm Bureau Federation. 2021. Fast Facts About Agriculture & Food. The 2021 Food and Farm Facts book. Available at: https://www.fb.org/newsroom/fast-facts

  2. Kuldau, Gretchen. 2022. AGBIO 520: Agricultural Biosecurity: Protecting a Key Infrastructure. Module 6.3: The Global Supply Chain. Course Syllabus. Pennsylvania State University. College of agricultural sciences. Available at: https://psu.instructure.com/courses/2197348/pages/m6-dot-3-the-global-supply-chain?module_item_id=36054174

  3. Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA). 2018. China: Top Markets for U.S. Ag Exports. Available at: https://www.mda.state.mn.us/sites/default/files/inline-files/profilechina.pdf

  4. US Department of Agriculture (USDA). 2017. National Agricultural Statistics Service. Available at: https://www.nass.usda.gov/Quick_Stats/CDQT/chapter/1/table/2/state/US/year/2017

  5. US Food and Drug Administration (FDA). September 27, 2022. FDA Strategy for the Safety of Imported Food. Available at: https://www.fda.gov/food/importing-food-products-united-states/fda-strategy-safety-imported-food

  6. Whitlock, Jennifer. August 17, 2021. Agricultural trade benefits consumers, economy. Texas Farm Bureau. Available at: https://texasfarmbureau.org/agricultural-trade-benefits-consumers-economy/

  7. World Integrated Trade Solution. 2020. United States Food Products Imports by country in US$ Thousand. Available at: https://wits.worldbank.org/CountryProfile/en/Country/USA/Year/LTST/TradeFlow/Import/Partner/by-country/Product/16-24_FoodProd

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