Title 21 — Food and DrugsRelease 119-73not60

§2101 Findings

Title 21 › Chapter 26— FOOD SAFETY › § 2101

Last updated Apr 5, 2026|Official source

Summary

Congress says protecting the safety and trust in the U.S. food supply is critical for health, public confidence, and the food economy. Food that makes people or pets sick has lowered trust and caused big losses for companies and farmers who were not at fault. New germs and hard‑to‑find contaminants, a rise in imports, and too few inspection resources make safety harder. From 2003 to 2007 U.S. food imports rose from $45,600,000,000 to $64,000,000,000; imports made up 13% of the average diet (31% fruits/juices/nuts; 9.5% red meat; 78.6% fish). FDA inspection staff fell from 2003 to 2007.

Full Legal Text

Title 21, §2101

Food and Drugs — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

Congress finds that—

(1)the safety and integrity of the United States food supply are vital to public health, to public confidence in the food supply, and to the success of the food sector of the Nation’s economy;

(2)illnesses and deaths of individuals and companion animals caused by contaminated food—

(A)have contributed to a loss of public confidence in food safety; and

(B)have caused significant economic losses to manufacturers and producers not responsible for contaminated food items;

(3)the task of preserving the safety of the food supply of the United States faces tremendous pressures with regard to—

(A)emerging pathogens and other contaminants and the ability to detect all forms of contamination;

(B)an increasing volume of imported food from a wide variety of countries; and

(C)a shortage of adequate resources for monitoring and inspection;

(4)according to the Economic Research Service of the Department of Agriculture, the United States is increasing the amount of food that it imports such that—

(A)from 2003 to 2007, the value of food imports has increased from $45,600,000,000 to $64,000,000,000; and

(B)imported food accounts for 13 percent of the average American diet including 31 percent of fruits, juices, and nuts, 9.5 percent of red meat, and 78.6 percent of fish and shellfish; and

(5)the number of full-time equivalent Food and Drug Administration employees conducting inspections has decreased from 2003 to 2007.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

21 U.S.C. § 2101

Title 21 — Food and Drugs

Last Updated

Apr 5, 2026

Release point: 119-73not60