The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is reportedly drafting plans to end most of its routine food safety inspections and outsource the task to state and local authorities instead. Citing several federal health officials who spoke on the condition of anonymity, CBS News reported Thursday that the FDA’s plans have not been fully finalized yet and may require congressional action to fund. Some sources claim the FDA had been planning to outsource inspections to states for years, so that they could focus on higher priority inspections instead. High-priority inspections that would likely remain under the FDA’s watch include visits to infant formula makers and inspections of foreign food facilities. The FDA already outsources some of its routine food inspections to 43 states and Puerto Rico. CBS’ sources likened the FDA’s plan to their Grade A Milk Safety Program, where states fund most of the inspections themselves and have agreements with the FDA in place on regulations to implement. Andrew Nixon, a spokesperson for the Department of Health and Human Services, denied that the FDA was making plans to outsource inspections to states.
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