The new budget proposal sent to Congress by US president Barack Obama this week will reportedly see the elimination of the Micorbiological Data Programme, the country's only programme that regularly tests fresh produce for potentially harmful pathogens.
It follows a recommendation by the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) that suggested the US$5m programme, which extensively screens high-risk fresh produce for bacteria such as salmonella, e coli and listeria, had a limited impact and was not a good fit within its Agricultural marketing services division.
'While food safety is a vitally important part of successfully marketing produce and other agricultural products, other federal and state public health agencies are better equipped to perform this function,' said USDA spokesperson Courtney Rowe in a statement.
However, the move has been criticised by some, who claim the programme is crucial for identifying positive samples that can trigger recalls and offer a barrier between tainted food and the consumer.
'It's the radar gun that keep the industry honest and if that's eliminated, we don't have a programme that will keep the industry in check,' Mike Doyle, director of the University of Georgia's Centre for Food Safety, told the Associated Press. 'This is really important because you and I eat that food and we don't want to get sick.'
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