Interview with Dr. Marshall
Martin, Professor of Agricultural Economics at Purdue
University
From the Field to your Plate
Food regulation is far more complex and detailed than most people
imagine. It’s the entire oversight process of your food from its very
inception all the way until it reaches your mouth. This encompasses the
production process (how it is grown or made), trade (where your food comes
from and how it gets to where it’s going), quality (ensuring that your food
is unadulterated), labeling and more. Food regulation exists to make sure
that the food we eat is safe and of an adequate quality. Every country in
the world has a set of food regulations, although not every country’s
regulations are on par with others.
Labeling is only a small part of food regulation but it gets a lot of
attention because it’s how people can judge what’s in their food and make
decisions about what they want to eat. Labels are required by law for any
foods that are sold across state lines (so the food at your local farmer’s
market, so long as it’s grown in-state, doesn’t need a label unless the
State requires it). Labels must be truthful and not misleading and food
labeling is enforced by the Food and Drug Administration as well as the
United States Department of Agriculture. Foods that do not meet federal
standards are misbranded and subject to recall.
Labels provide the identity of the food, the amount in the package,
cooking instructions, serving size, safety concerns (like allergens) and
nutritional facts. The nutrition facts are intended to help us make informed
decisions related to health and disease. For instance, sodium is related to
hypertension, calcium to osteoporosis, iron to anemia. Mandatory labeling is
more than just sticking words on a package. There is an entire regulatory
process behind it (all the people and agencies that check every product to
make sure it’s accurate). Due to the complexity of the process, labeling can
be very costly and as such is often limited only to the most important
information needed to make informed health decisions.
The regulation of genetically modified crops in the United States is
divided among three regulatory agencies: the United States Department of
Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (USDA-APHIS), the
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and the Department of Health and
Human Services' Food and Drug Administration (FDA) (only transgenic food
requires regulation by all three federal government agencies). A particular
agency takes the lead depending on the nature of the food product.
USDA-APHIS protects animal agriculture from pests and diseases. They
regulate any biotechnology products that could pose a risk, as well as any
organisms or products known or suspected to be risks or pose risks. They
regulate all aspects, including but not limited to import, handling,
movement, confinement, and disposal. The EPA regulates sale, distribution
and use of all pesticides. The EPA also sets tolerance limits for residues
of pesticides on and in food and animal feed, or establishes an exemption
from the requirement for a tolerance, under the Federal Food, Drug and
Cosmetic Act. The FDA oversees the safety and proper labeling of all
plant-derived food and feed, including those from genetically engineered
products. All food or feed, including that which is imported into the
country, must meet the same standards.