State lawmakers are sounding the alarm as the Trump administration’s cuts to food safety oversight leave a void in state regulation. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration suspended its quality control program for Grade A Milk, while the U.S. Department of Agriculture shut down two key advisory committees on microbiological criteria for foods and meat inspection.
Del. Mark Sickles (D-Fairfax) and State Sen. Ghazala Hashmi (D-Chesterfield) are urging caution, citing gaps in state laws and regulations that can lead to public health risks. “We need to go back to roots here and look at what we’re supposed to be doing,” said Sickles.
Hashmi agreed, stating that states must fill the void left by federal cuts, particularly since many food safety programs are funded by the federal government. The Trump administration’s decision to slash grants to state food safety offices and laboratories has raised concerns, as well as tight caps on federal officials’ use of credit cards for testing purposes.
The lack of oversight was highlighted during last year’s deadly listeria outbreak in Virginia, which killed 10 people and hospitalized 60. Despite repeated sanitation and food handling violations at the Boar’s Head deli meat plant, inspectors failed to take action until after the USDA ordered the plant to stop operations.
Experts warn that states cannot replicate the federal government’s ability to oversee an interstate and international food supply. “State regulators can’t do the same kind of oversight as Washington,” said Sarah Sorscher, director of regulatory affairs at the Center for Science in the Public Interest.
Source: https://richmond.com/news/state-regional/government-politics/article_0852e9f2-adc3-4505-af6e-38d3653aa2bc.html