Implications of the FDA Suspending Food Safety Quality Control Testing

The suspension of the FDA’s proficiency testing program for its Food Emergency Response Network (FERN) laboratories has significant implications for the U.S. food system:

• Reduced Consistency and Accuracy: The FERN proficiency testing program ensures that approximately 170 labs across the U.S. maintain consistent and accurate testing for pathogens and contaminants. Without this program, there is a risk of variability in test results, potentially leading to undetected foodborne hazards.
• Increased Foodborne Illness Risk: Quality control assessments are essential for demonstrating that labs are competent and prepared to detect and respond to food safety incidents. Suspending these checks could delay the identification of contaminated food, increasing the risk of outbreaks and public health emergencies.
• Accreditation Challenges: Many food safety labs rely on proficiency testing to meet accreditation requirements. With the FDA unable to provide these tests, labs may struggle to maintain their credentials, further weakening the food safety infrastructure.
• Slower Outbreak Response: Reductions in staff and resources have already led to slower responses to food safety incidents and reduced monitoring of food facilities. The suspension of quality control programs exacerbates these issues, potentially resulting in more severe or prolonged outbreaks.

Impact on Canada’s Food Safety and Cross-Border Cooperation

The U.S. and Canada have a recognized arrangement acknowledging the comparability of their food safety systems and emphasizing regulatory cooperation, information exchange, and periodic reassessment of each other’s systems. The suspension of key U.S. food safety programs could affect this partnership in several ways:

• System Reassessment and Confidence: The arrangement allows for periodic reviews or audits, especially if there are significant changes in either country’s food safety system2. The suspension of the FDA’s quality control program constitutes such a significant change and may prompt Canadian authorities to reassess the reliability of the U.S. system.
• Trade and Import Controls: If Canadian regulators perceive a decline in U.S. food safety oversight, they may increase inspections or impose additional controls on U.S. food imports to protect Canadian consumers. This could slow cross-border trade and increase costs for exporters.
• Reciprocity and Policy Adjustments: Canada may review its own food safety protocols to ensure they remain robust and may seek to strengthen independent verification of imported foods, especially if confidence in U.S. oversight is diminished.
• Public Health Coordination: The integrated nature of North American food supply chains means that lapses in U.S. food safety can have direct consequences for Canada, including increased risk of cross-border outbreaks and recalls.

Summary Table: U.S. Suspension Impact on Food Safety and Canada

Conclusion

The suspension of the FDA’s food safety quality control program weakens the U.S. food safety system, increasing risks of foodborne illness and undermining confidence in U.S. food exports. For Canada, this development could lead to heightened scrutiny of U.S. food imports, more rigorous border inspections, and a potential reassessment of the bilateral food safety recognition arrangement, with possible implications for trade and public health on both sides of the border.  Culture Advisory Group has the resources and skills to assist organizations lead in this area.  We view this as an opportunity to bring Canada to the forefront with our food safety and quality story.