FDA Fails to Ensure Accuracy and Truthfulness of Food Labels, GAO Says

The Government Accountability Office (GAO) says the FDA isn’t doing a very good job of preventing false and misleading labeling.

In a new report, the GAO says the “FDA does not have reliable data on the number of labels reviewed; the number of inspections, which include label reviews, has declined. For example, of the tens of thousands of foreign food firms in over 150 countries, just 96 were inspected by FDA in 11 countries in fiscal year 2007—down from 211 inspections in 26 countries in 2001.”

The report goes on to state that the “FDA does not track the complete and timely correction of labeling violations or analyze these and other labeling oversight data in routine reports to inform managers’ decisions, or ensure the complete and timely posting of information on its Web site to inform the public.”

“Moreover,” the report continues, “FDA does not provide its managers with routine reports on, for example, (1) the status of labeling violations to help them ensure that corrections are made quickly and properly and (2) trends in labeling violations by types of products, companies, and countries to help inform their decisions for setting priorities and allocating resources. In addition, FDA does not ensure that the information it posts on its public Web site—such as warning letters that identify labeling violations—is complete and posted promptly to inform consumers’ food purchase decisions.”

CSPI formally petitioned the FDA in 2006 to develop a universal front-of-label symbol that would communicate nutritional value and has advocated funding for an Institute of Medicine study to identify the best system of label symbols. The FDA held a public hearing on the issue in 2007, but has not taken any further action.