What You Need to Know
• The Food and Drug Administration conducted just under 1,000 foreign food safety inspections in 2025.
• A federal law mandates the FDA to perform nearly 20 times that number of inspections annually.
• The FDA last inspected Taylor Farms de Mexico, linked to a cyclosporiasis outbreak, seven years ago.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) conducted just under 1,000 foreign food safety inspections in 2025, falling significantly short of a federal law requiring nearly 20 times that number each year. Despite the law’s existence for a decade, the FDA has not met even 10% of the mandated inspections, which has been attributed to unrealistic targets and insufficient budget increases from Congress. The agency’s foreign food safety inspections dropped by 29% from 2024, marking the lowest count since 2011, and early projections for 2026 suggest similar results. Notably, the FDA last inspected Taylor Farms de Mexico, the farm believed to be at the center of the ongoing cyclosporiasis outbreak in the U.S., seven years ago.
Why It Matters
The FDA’s foreign food safety inspection shortfall raises concerns about foodborne illness prevention in the United States. With about a third of inspections revealing violations over the past decade, the lack of oversight could lead to unsafe food entering the market. The agency’s budget has not kept pace with inflation, further limiting its capacity to fulfill its inspection obligations. The ongoing cyclosporiasis outbreak highlights the critical need for effective food safety measures and timely inspections to protect public health.
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