Over the past 20 years, the rules and regulations governing the safety of our food supply have changed immensely. During this period, USDA-Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) mandated hazardous analysis and critical control points (HACCP) for the entire meat industry, the agency declared new pathogens to be adulterants, new regulations required companies to declare allergens on their labels, and constantly evolving rules have forced companies to better control for Salmonella.
The approach taken by the departing administration relied for eight years on comprehensive regulations to create a safer food supply. The new administration, led by President Donald Trump, on the other hand, believes complex regulation actually impedes progress. Thus, we are all left wondering what impact, if any, the new administration will have on food safety.