Imported Food Rarely Scanned for Contamination
One would think that food from countries with lax food safety laws and high rates of infection, such as China, would be thoroughly inspected. However, as little as 1.3 percent of foods imported are inspected by the FDA. 1.3 percent of imported food inspected by the FDA turns out to be unsafe or unfit for human consumption.
Food safety experts believe not enough is being done to protect the consumers from unsafe imported food. Mike Doyle, Director of the University of Georgia's Center for Food Safety had this to say: "The FDA doesn't have enough resources or control over this situation presently."
In March alone, the FDA detained about 850 shipments of grains, fish, vegetables, nuts, spice, oil, and other imported foods for numerous reasons varying from unsafe food coloring to contamination with pesticides to Salmonella contamination. One has to wonder about the 98.7% of imported food that isn't inspected.
Source: Andrew Bridges, "Imported Food Rarely Inspected." Associated Press, April 16, 2007.