President Barack Obama has proposed consolidating food safety efforts into one body to decrease overhead.
Currently the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Food and Drug Administration share food safety oversight duties. The USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) oversees meat, poultry and eggs, while the FDA oversees other food.
Together, 12 agencies enforce 30 different laws.
As proposed in the fiscal year 2016 budget proposal, all food safety oversight would be combined into a single agency under the umbrella of the Department of Health and Human Services. Several food industry advocates are preparing to fight the proposed rules, fearing increased oversight.
A different proposal, put forth by consumer groups and two lawmakers, suggests forming a new food safety agency entirely outside the HHS.
The Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) will go into effect at the end of FY 2016.