Safety Standards in Infant Nutrition: A United States Perspective

In the United States, the general standard for food safety is reasonable certainty of causing no harm under the intended conditions of use. In contrast to food safety policy in some other countries, the United States treats foods for infants and children no differently than foods for adults, other than requiring additional standards for infant formulas. In the United States, food safety falls under the regulatory control of more than a dozen government agencies. The principal responsibility is shared by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the US Department of Agriculture (USDA), but significant additional oversight authority is granted to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and others. Furthermore, while a large number of legislative statutes provide the basis for regulatory oversight, the principal laws that govern food safety are the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act, the Federal Meat, Poultry Products and Egg Products Inspection Acts, and the Food Safety Modernization Act. The latter statute, enacted in 2011, has provided for a broad range of new industry responsibilities for the safe manufacture of food products and has significantly expanded federal enforcement authority for violations.