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Food safety in the United States is the responsibility of multiple federal bodies, each with a distinct mandate. Understanding which government agencies are responsible for food safety, and how they interact, is essential for food producers, distributors, retailers, and any business operating in the food and beverage industry.
This guide covers the six key agencies, their specific roles, how they collaborate, the latest recall and outbreak data, and what it means for your compliance obligations.
Key Takeaways
- How many us government agencies are responsible for food safety? Six primary federal agencies share responsibility for U.S. food safety: USDA, FDA (including HFP), FSIS, CDC, EPA, and NMFS.
- In 2024, the FDA issued 241 food and beverage recalls — and hospitalizations from foodborne illness more than doubled year-over-year (230 to 487), with deaths rising from 8 to 19. (U.S. PIRG, Feb 2025)
- 98% of all foodborne illness in 2024 was linked to just 13 outbreaks — Listeria, Salmonella, and E. coli were the leading pathogens.
- When a recall is issued, businesses need compliant disposal partners that provide certified, chain-of-custody disposal for recalled and off-spec products.
What Does Food Safety Mean — and Why Does Federal Oversight Matter?
Food safety encompasses the practices, standards, and regulations that prevent foodborne illness at every stage of the supply chain — from farm to table. In the U.S., it is a shared federal responsibility governed by over 30 laws and administered across multiple agencies.
The stakes are high. According to the CDC, approximately 48 million Americans suffer a foodborne illness every year, resulting in 128,000 hospitalizations and 3,000 deaths. In 2024 alone, hospitalizations due to foodborne illnesses spiked to 487 (from 230 in 2023), and deaths increased from 8 to 19.
Which Government Agencies Are Responsible for Food Safety and Regulation?
Food safety oversight in the U.S. is split across six primary federal agencies. Here’s a quick-reference overview before we go deeper into each one:
U.S. Government Agencies Responsible for Food Safety
| Agency | Parent Department | Primary Jurisdiction | Key Tool |
|---|---|---|---|
| USDA | U.S. Dept. of Agriculture | Meat, poultry, processed eggs | HACCP standards, facility inspections |
| FDA / HFP | Dept. of Health & Human Services | All other foods, drugs, cosmetics | Food Code, FSMA, recall authority |
| FSIS | USDA (sub-agency) | Meat, poultry, egg product labeling & safety | Mandatory continuous inspection |
| CDC | Dept. of Health & Human Services | Foodborne illness surveillance & investigation | Outbreak detection, data analysis |
| EPA | Independent federal agency | Pesticide residues on food, water safety | Pesticide registration & tolerance limits |
| NMFS / NOAA | Dept. of Commerce | Seafood safety & quality control | Voluntary seafood inspection program |
1. United States Department of Agriculture (USDA)
The USDA is a governing agency that works on creating and implementing policies focused on meat, poultry, and processed eggs.
Its roles include:
- Sanitary condition inspections at processing and packing facilities
- Pathogen and contaminant testing to prevent Salmonella, Listeria, and E. coli contamination
- Food labeling verification — ensuring accurate ingredient, nutritional, and allergen information
- Coordination with FSIS on recall initiation and scope definition
In 2024, the USDA issued 55 food recalls and public health alerts — a 38% decrease from 2023 — though regulatory scrutiny around recall scope increased significantly.
2. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
The FDA is the broadest of all U.S. food safety regulators, covering roughly 80% of the American food supply, including fresh produce, packaged foods, seafood, bottled water, dietary supplements, and food additives, as well as human and veterinary drugs, medical devices, and cosmetics.
The FDA’s food safety mandate includes:
- Setting and enforcing food safety standards and regulations for all covered food categories
- Reviewing and approving food additives and new ingredients
- Conducting facility inspections — announced and unannounced — across the food supply chain
- Initiating and managing food recalls, issuing public health advisories, and pursuing enforcement action (warning letters, injunctions, seizures)
- Administering FSMA (the Food Safety Modernization Act) — the most significant overhaul of U.S. food safety law in decades, shifting the focus from response to prevention
Note: In October 2024, the FDA reorganized CFSAN (Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition) into the new Human Foods Program — designed to improve coordination and oversight of all human food safety activities (including hazard identification, enforcement actions, food safety training, food additive review).
3. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
Although the CDC is not a regulatory agency, its role in food safety is crucial as it detects, investigates, and monitors foodborne illness outbreaks. That data is then shared with regulatory partners like the FDA and USDA to enable faster response.
CDC food safety functions include:
- Surveillance of foodborne illness cases through FoodNet and other tracking systems
- Outbreak investigation in collaboration with state health departments
- Data analysis and trend reporting — informing regulatory priorities
- Consumer education on food safety practices
4. Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS)
FSIS is the USDA’s primary food safety sub-agency, with a narrow but critical mandate: the safety, labeling, and wholesomeness of U.S. meat, poultry, and processed egg products.
FSIS responsibilities include:
- Continuous on-site inspection at federally inspected meat, poultry, and egg processing plants
- Pathogen reduction programs — including HACCP (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points) verification
- Recall coordination — including issuing public health alerts and Class I recall determinations
- Import surveillance — inspecting foreign establishments that export meat and poultry to the U.S.
5. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
The EPA’s role in food safety is often overlooked but significant. The EPA regulates pesticide use and sets tolerance limits for pesticide residues on food — the maximum amounts legally permissible in or on food products. It also oversees drinking water safety, which has direct implications for food processing and beverage production.
- Pesticide registration and tolerance-setting under FIFRA (Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act)
- Drinking water standards under the Safe Drinking Water Act
- Food processing facility environmental compliance, including wastewater and runoff regulation
6. National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS)
The NMFS, a division of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, focuses primarily on fisheries management and ensuring food safety and quality control related to seafood. Unlike the FDA’s mandatory food safety inspections for seafood, the NMFS operates a voluntary seafood inspection program that businesses can opt into for quality certification and grading.
The NMFS works closely with other agencies, namely the FDA, USDA, and EPA, to ensure regulations are followed and correct labeling for all seafood products entering and distributed throughout the USA food supply are safe for consumption.
How U.S. Food Safety Agencies Work Together
No single agency has jurisdiction over the entire food supply. Effective food safety in the U.S. depends on coordinated collaboration — particularly when outbreaks cross jurisdictional lines, as they often do.
1. Regulation and Compliance
The FDA and USDA/FSIS are the primary regulatory authorities. They set the standards food businesses must meet — from HACCP plans and facility sanitation to labeling accuracy and recall procedures.
When a food safety violation is identified, these agencies determine whether a voluntary recall, mandatory recall, or enforcement action is warranted. In 2024, both agencies notably expanded the scope of their food recall demands, requiring broader product pullbacks than the immediate contamination zone — a trend food businesses should anticipate.
2. Inspections and Certifications
Inspections are the operational backbone of food safety enforcement. The FDA conducts risk-based periodic inspections of food facilities; FSIS operates continuous, mandatory inspections of meat and poultry plants. When an inspection identifies a violation, inspectors may:
- Review production records and sanitation logs
- Collect environmental and product samples for laboratory testing
- Issue a Form 483 (FDA) or notice of regulatory action (FSIS)
- Recommend or require product recall
Businesses that successfully meet all requirements receive certifications confirming compliance with applicable food safety standards.
3. Outbreak Investigation and Emergency Response
When a multistate foodborne illness outbreak is detected, the CDC leads epidemiological investigation while the FDA and/or USDA/FSIS lead the regulatory response — identifying the contaminated source, initiating recalls, and issuing public advisories.
The practical consequence for food and beverage businesses: when a recall is issued, you need a compliant disposal path for removed inventory. Expired, recalled, or off-spec food and beverage products cannot simply be discarded. They require certified, documented disposal through a licensed partner — protecting your brand and satisfying agency chain-of-custody requirements.
4. Training and Education
The FDA and USDA both provide food safety training programs, guidance documents, and educational resources for industry. FSMA established new training requirements — particularly through the Food Safety Preventive Controls Alliance, which delivers FDA-recognized training to food facility staff and management. Staying current with agency guidance is not optional for food businesses — it is a regulatory expectation.
What Food Safety Regulations Mean for Food & Beverage Businesses
Multi-agency food safety oversight creates overlapping compliance obligations for businesses. The practical implications:
- Know your regulator: If you produce meat or poultry, USDA/FSIS governs your operations. If you produce packaged food, beverages, produce, or seafood, the FDA is your primary regulator. Many businesses are subject to both.
- Maintain documented HACCP plans — required under both USDA and FSMA/FDA frameworks
- Monitor recall alerts actively from both FDA.gov and USDA/FSIS to catch supplier-side recalls before they affect your operation
- Have a recall readiness plan — Outbreaks are getting more severe even as total recall volume stabilizes
- Establish compliant disposal partnerships for recalled or expired inventory — from food waste recycling to professional beverage destruction
When recalled or unsellable food and beverage inventory must be removed from commerce, businesses need more than a dumpster. Shapiro’s beverage destruction companies service provides documented, chain-of-custody destruction for beverages and liquid food products — satisfying FDA and USDA audit requirements and protecting your brand from liability.
Conclusion
U.S. food safety oversight is distributed across six primary federal agencies, each with distinct jurisdiction, authority, and tools. Understanding their requirements can help your business stay complaint and always be prepared for inspection. In a case of a recall, you should also know which authority will manage it and have a certified disposal partner on standby.
Shapiro’s beverage destruction services and food waste recycling solutions support food and beverage businesses at every stage of the compliance lifecycle — from routine organic waste management to certified, documented disposal of recalled products. Contact Shapiro today to ensure your disposal practices meet the standards these agencies require.
Frequently Asked Questions: Government Agencies and Food Safety
There is no single agency. The FDA and the USDA (through FSIS) share primary responsibility — the FDA covering roughly 80% of the food supply (produce, packaged foods, seafood, beverages) and USDA/FSIS covering meat, poultry, and processed egg products. The CDC, EPA, and NMFS play supporting roles.
The FDA sets and enforces food safety regulations, approves food additives, inspects food facilities, issues recalls, and administers FSMA — the law that shifted U.S. food safety from reactive to preventive.
Both, depending on the product. The USDA/FSIS handles recalls for meat, poultry, and processed egg products. The FDA handles all other food recalls.
The FSIS is a sub-agency of the USDA that focuses exclusively on meat, poultry, and processed eggs — with continuous on-site inspection at all federally inspected plants. The FDA covers all other food categories and conducts periodic, risk-based inspections. FSIS has a narrower mandate but more intensive day-to-day inspection presence.
Recalled products must be removed from commerce and disposed of in a documented, compliant manner. They cannot simply be thrown away or repurposed without authorization. Food and beverage businesses typically work with licensed disposal partners to handle recalled inventory in compliance with FDA and USDA requirements.
CFSAN was the FDA’s division responsible for food safety and nutrition. In October 2024, the FDA reorganized it into the new Human Foods Program — a broader program designed to improve coordination of human food safety oversight. Food businesses that previously dealt with CFSAN now interact with HFP for food safety matters.
our expert
Peter W. Klaich Director, Agriculture/Animal Health
Peter Klaich is a leading expert within the agricultural recycling and animal health market arena, known for leading National Sales at Skip Shapiro Enterprises since June 2016. He focuses on advancing sustainable recycling solutions and waste management practices across the agricultural industry.
