What COVID-19 taught the FDA about food safety

Developing a culture of food safety

Prior to COVID, food safety culture was mostly the responsibility of farm workers and food facility staff. The global crisis made FDA officials realize that the food safety culture needs to extend to the home, too. Work should be done to keep everyone involved in farms, processing plants, and other food supply chain links safe, but the system should also educate the public about best food safety practices during home cooking.

In other words: the government, industries, and consumers must all work together to keep each other safe.

“What we have learned from the pandemic is that we’re on the right track with the New Era of Smarter Food Safety. The steps that we’ll take will prepare us to protect the safety of our food supply, no matter what challenges we face,” he says. “We will get there together, stronger and more resilient than ever.”