FDA Food Regulations

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulates the safety of the food, drugs and other products to protect public health and safety.

• FDA regulates food safety.

Function

• Manufacturers are focused on profit. The FDA regulates products to ensure their contents and claims are not fraudulent.

Food Labeling

• The FDA requires the products it regulates to be labeled correctly and completely. For example, a product cannot claim that it cures a disease when there is no proof of it doing so. For food sold in the United States, the FDA requires a nutrition facts panel detailing serving size, ingredients, warnings, calories and nutrients.

Food Safety Handling

• The FDA enforces its food safety rules and regulations for factories, restaurants, cafeterias and anywhere else food is made or served to the public.

Oversight

• The FDA aims to keep the country's food supply safe from terrorist or criminal attack and contamination. It oversees the U.S. Department of Agriculture in its inspection of meat and dairy products, and inspects and approves foods imported into the United States.

Other Regulations

• The FDA regulates medical and beauty products, and the U.S. blood supply. It inspects facilities that use X-ray equipment and sets safety standard for devices that use radiation, microwave and television receivers. The FDA also tracks products for reports of problems.