Which agency is responsible for regulating food safety in the United States?

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is the agency responsible for regulating food safety in the United States. Its primary role encompasses overseeing the safety of food products, including processed foods, food additives, and nutritional supplements. This responsibility includes setting standards for food safety, conducting inspections, and ensuring that food products are properly labeled to inform consumers about what they are purchasing. The FDA also plays a significant role in the approval process for new food products and ingredients, ensuring that they meet safety standards before they can enter the market.

While other agencies, such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), monitor health and disease outbreaks related to foodborne illnesses, and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) manages environmental impacts, the FDA is specifically tasked with enforcing regulations that directly ensure the safety of food consumed by the public. Additionally, the USDA focuses on the safety of meat, poultry, and some egg products, but it is the FDA that has primary jurisdiction over the vast majority of the food supply.