The U.S. food safety system is facing significant challenges due to chronic underfunding and fragmented oversight, which have left critical gaps in inspection and response capabilities. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) oversees about 80% of the nation’s food supply but operates with less than \$300 million annually for its food programs. In contrast, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), responsible for regulating just 20% of food products such as meat, poultry, and eggs, has a budget of approximately \$800 million. This funding disparity persists despite the fact that most foodborne illness outbreaks involve FDA-regulated foods.
Recent budget cuts have worsened vulnerabilities within the system. In 2025, the FDA lost 2,500 staff members, including scientists and outbreak response coordinators. Several important advisory committees, such as those focused on microbiological hazards and meat and poultry inspection, were eliminated. State-level food safety programs also suffered major funding reductions, with some seeing cuts between 40% and 60% for produce inspections and outbreak response teams. This forced agencies like Minnesota’s to reduce inspector presence at food facilities. Federal support for state retail food safety programs remains uneven, making it difficult for jurisdictions to maintain essential inspection technologies and staff training.
These funding shortfalls have had a direct impact on public health. In 2021, the FDA inspected only 51% of high-risk facilities on schedule, a sharp decline from 93% in 2019. Staffing shortages and the lengthy two-year training period for new investigators have slowed recovery efforts. At the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), layoffs nearly eliminated the entire Division of Environmental Health Science and Practice team, severely weakening coordination during contamination events like the 2023 lead-in-applesauce crisis. Furthermore, important rules under the Food Safety Modernization Act—such as water testing for pathogens and improved food traceability systems—face delays or rollbacks due to industry pressure and enforcement challenges.
The economic cost of foodborne illnesses in the U.S. reaches \$15.6 billion annually in healthcare expenses and lost productivity, according to food safety law firm Ron Simon & Associates. Funding cuts also disproportionately affect underserved communities, where federal programs had previously dedicated 85% of resources to address health disparities. Without sustained investment, experts warn the system risks returning to a reactive mode, relying on inspectors, laboratories, and regulators who lack the resources to prevent outbreaks before they spread.
Short-term funding boosts, like the USDA’s \$14.5 million infusion in 2025 to support state meat inspections, provide some relief but fail to address deeper structural problems. Advocates emphasize that food safety depends not just on routine inspections but on strong scientific research, data analysis, and coordinated response networks—areas currently stretched to their limits. One expert summed up the challenge by saying, “Your food isn’t safe because someone with a clipboard walked through a facility.” Instead, a robust and well-funded system is essential to protect public health.
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