§5701 Food Transportation Safety Inspections

Summary

The Secretary of Transportation must create rules, with help from the Secretary of Health and Human Services and the Secretary of Agriculture, for safety inspections that look for possible contamination or tampering of food in transit. The rules must cover foods under section 416 of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act; meat and carcasses under section 402 of the Federal Meat Inspection Act (21 U.S.C. 672); and poultry under section 19 of the Poultry Products Inspection Act (21 U.S.C. 467a). The rules must at least apply to DOT staff who do commercial truck and railroad safety checks. The Secretary must also run a training program for inspectors — including DOT workers, certain State employees, and people paid with funds under sections 31102 through 31104 — so they can recognize contamination of cosmetics, devices, drugs, food, and food additives and know how to get help from the right federal or State agencies. The Secretary of Transportation must promptly tell the Secretary of Health and Human Services or the Secretary of Agriculture about any suspected contamination found. DOT may use State employees paid with funds under sections 31102 through 31104 to carry out those inspections and notifications.