GAO reports food safety regulation shortfalls

A report from the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) highlighted deficiencies in the U.S. food safety system, particularly in imported products.
The office found a lack of coordination among the Customs and Border Protection (CBP) function of the Department of Homeland Security, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture-Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS).
Among the noted issues:
*The CBP computer system does not interact with either FDA or FSIS tracking systems when food products are delivered to U.S. ports.
*The FDA has limited authority to enforce compliance with regulations.
*Individual importers do not have a unique identity number facilitating tracking on CBP and FDA computer systems.
*There is no mechanism to manage shipments that are imported inbound and may be subject to diversion to domestic consumption.
The situation is especially critical in relation to the volume of imports of diverse food products, many of which have the potential to impact public health.