The current system places too much of the burden on the taxpayer to find problems. And the FDA's enforcement tools are so rudimentary as to make that burden overwhelming at times. If there is an adulterated product being shipped, FDA is not even entitled to the records to tell where that product has gone. I've faced that situation, myself, and I can tell you that it becomes extremely difficult to provide consumers with the assurances they want. Our current system of food safety regulation is reactive.
Industry needs to have in place basic quality assurance programs that prevent food safety problems.
Let me emphasize that no new knowledge, no new discoveries, are needed to meet the new food safety challenges. We can build on what some companies have been doing for years. The time has come to institutionalize basic preventive controls to ensure the safety of the food supply. In some ways it is so simple a concept. But don't let the simplicity fool you.