Each year approximately 48 million people in the United States get sick, 128,000 are hospitalized, and 3,000 die of foodborne diseases. The main U.S. federal agency ensured with protecting citizens against foodborne illnesses is the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). FDA inspects food facilities to ensure both food safety and compliance with regulations. They also monitor food products in the marketplace. Congress passed the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA), which enabled FDA to focus more on preventing food safety problems rather than reacting to them after the fact. It was signed into law on January 4, 2011. FSMA requires FDA to inspect domestic food facilities within certain timeframes.
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