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GAO-25-107606 1 (2025-02-03)

handle is hein.gao/gaorlb0001 and id is 1 raw text is: Why This Matters Although the U.S. food supply is generally considered safe, tens of millions of Americans get sick from foodborne illness every year, and some die, according to estimates from the Department of Health and Human Services' (HHS) Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). In addition, according to CDC data, over 9,000 foodborne illness outbreaks were reported between 2011 and 2022 across all 50 states. Foodborne illness has widespread economic consequences, costing Americans an estimated $75 billion (in 2023 dollars) annually in medical care, lost productivity, and premature deaths, including those associated with secondary chronic illnesses and conditions that develop after the initial illness, according to a study by researchers from U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Economic Research Service and collaborators. At least 30 federal laws govern the safety and quality of the U.S. food supply, both domestic and imported. Collectively, 15 federal agencies administer these laws, including CDC, USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS), and HHS's Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The federal food safety oversight system is supplemented by states, localities, Tribes, and territories, which may have their own laws and agencies to address the safety and quality of food. Foodborne pathogens can be transmitted through multiple types of food and, therefore, can affect both FDA- and FSIS-regulated foods. For example, in 2024, two Salmonella outbreaks-one attributed to cucumbers, an FDA-regulated food, and one attributed to charcuterie meats, an FSIS-regulated food-collectively caused 650 confirmed illnesses and about 180 hospitalizations. We have long reported that the fragmented nature of the federal food safety oversight system causes inconsistent oversight, ineffective coordination, and inefficient use of resources. Since 2007, we have identified federal oversight of food safety as a high-risk issue and made several recommendations and matters for congressional consideration. In 2017, we called for the Executive Office of the President to develop and implement a national strategy for overseeing food safety. As of January 2025, there were no plans to create a national strategy, according to officials from the Office of Management and Budget. We prepared this report at the initiative of the Comptroller General to assist Congress with its oversight of CDC, FDA, and FSIS's roles in reducing foodborne illness. This report describes foodborne illness and how foods get contaminated, what is known about the magnitude of foodborne illness and associated foods, and federal goals associated with identifying and reducing foodborne illness. * Foodborne illness in the U.S. is a serious and continuing problem. A forthcoming 2025 CDC study estimates that six pathogens-including Salmonella, Listeria monocytogenes, Campylobacter, Clostridium perfringens, Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC), and norovirus - cause about 10 million cases of foodborne illnesses annually in the U.S. Page 1 GAO-25-1 07606 Food Safety Key Takeaways Page 1 GAO-25-107606 Food Safety

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