Trump And Food Safety: How The Industry Is Responding To Executive Orders

By Hannah Kyle, Global Food Safety Forum

Back in January, Food Online’s editor, Sam Lewis, penned a column covering a few predictions for the food industry in 2017. One of these predictions was the impact President Trump would have on the FDA, FSMA, and other food safety policies and legislation. In this column, I will illustrate the influence the President’s Executive Orders have had on the industry over the last several months, as well as how the industry is responding.

Soon after his inauguration on January 19, 2017, President Donald Trump signed an executive order mandating two regulations must be eliminated for each new regulation proposed. Additionally, the two regulations eliminated must have the same net impact on the U.S.’ economy as the proposed regulation.

For fiscal year 2017, Trump’s initial budget offers $0 for new regulations, regardless of industry. Trump told reporters at the White House the goal was not to eliminate regulation overall, but a “normalized control” of regulations in the U.S. Also under the budget proposal, the USDA would see its discretionary funding cut by $4.7 billion; down 21 percent from its 2017 level. This is proposed through a series of cuts to food and nutrition programs, including those that address aspects of food safety.