The Food and Drug Administration conducted an average of 917 inspections of foreign food facilities per year between fiscal 2018 and fiscal 2023, against an annual target of 19,200 written into federal law, according to a Government Accountability Office analysis of FDA data.
The gap is not marginal. Across that period, the average represented about 5% of the target. In fiscal 2019, the agency's strongest year, it inspected 1,727 foreign facilities, about 9% of the target. The FDA has told GAO it considers the existing target unrealistic and unachievable, but has not identified an alternative figure and communicated it to Congress, something GAO first recommended in 2015.
The figures matter because of what foreign inspections are designed to do. GAO describes them as a proactive tool aimed at preventing food safety problems rather than reacting to outbreaks after they happen. At the end of fiscal 2023, there were roughly 75,000 domestic food facilities subject to FDA inspection, alongside the foreign facilities covered by the 19,200 target.
The Capacity Problem Behind the Numbers
GAO identified limited workforce capacity as the primary constraint. As of July 2024, the FDA had 432 investigators to conduct both domestic and foreign inspections, about 90% of its full-time equivalent ceiling, with nearly a quarter of them eligible for retirement and roughly two years required to fully train a new investigator.
That is a small group for a global assignment. Foreign inspections require international travel, advance scheduling, translation support, and coordination with foreign regulators, all of which make each visit substantially more resource-intensive than a domestic one. The COVID-19 pandemic also sharply reduced foreign inspection activity beginning in fiscal 2020.
An analysis of more recent data found that foreign inspections declined further after staffing reductions, reaching a historic low. A separate delay compounds the detection question: the Food Traceability Rule, a component of the 2011 Food Safety Modernization Act requiring detailed records that let investigators trace contaminated food back through a supply chain, has had its compliance date extended by 30 months into 2028.
Two Active Outbreaks Tied to Imported Produce
The inspection numbers are drawing attention now because two foodborne illness investigations involving Mexican-grown produce are underway simultaneously.
The CDC is tracking multiple cyclosporiasis outbreaks affecting at least 20,000 people, with one outbreak alone accounting for more than 6,000 illnesses across at least 15 states. Michigan's health department has attributed two deaths to dehydration from Cyclospora infections in patients who had underlying conditions. No specific source has been conclusively identified.
Separately, 345 people across 27 states have been infected with Salmonella Javiana linked to jalapeño peppers grown in Sinaloa, Mexico, and distributed by Coast Citrus Distributors. Thirty-six people have been hospitalized, and no deaths have been reported. Traceback pointed to a single grower. Chipotle Mexican Grill and QDOBA both stopped serving the affected peppers, and federal officials say they no longer consider those restaurants an ongoing risk.
Nothing in the available evidence establishes that inspection shortfalls caused either outbreak. Cyclospora is a parasite that contaminates produce through water and is not reliably detected by facility inspection at all. What the two investigations illustrate is the volume of imported produce moving into the country and the difficulty of identifying a source once illnesses appear.
Where the Gaps Fall Hardest
The consumer-facing consequence is uneven rather than universal. Fresh produce, seafood, and processed ingredients from countries with less developed regulatory systems carry the most exposure to the inspection gap, because inspection is one of few checkpoints available.
Some categories have additional layers. Imported seafood is subject to specific hazard control requirements and to import alerts that allow shipments to be held at the border without physical examination. Products from countries with FDA-recognized food safety systems receive different treatment.
Households cannot inspect their own supply chain, and no consumer behavior substitutes for facility oversight. What individuals can control is handling: washing produce thoroughly under running water, keeping raw and ready-to-eat foods separate, cooking to recommended temperatures, and refrigerating promptly. Those steps reduce risk from bacterial contamination, though they are less effective against parasites like Cyclospora that adhere tightly to produce surfaces.
It is also worth being precise about what the inspection figure does and does not describe. It counts facility visits, not the volume of food entering the country or the share of shipments examined at ports. The FDA screens import entries electronically and samples selected shipments at the border, and those activities continue independently of how many overseas plants investigators reach in a given year. A low inspection count indicates thin coverage of one layer, not the absence of all oversight.
People at higher risk of severe foodborne illness, including pregnant people, adults over 65, young children, and immunocompromised individuals, have the most to gain from cooking higher-risk produce when practical.
The Recommendation That Remains Unmet
The unresolved question is what target the FDA intends to meet. GAO's central recommendation is procedural rather than dramatic: determine the appropriate size of the foreign investigator cadre, set an achievable annual target, communicate it to Congress, and develop a formal performance management process for measuring whether inspections are keeping the food supply safe. None of that has been completed.
Congress controls the other variable. The inspection target came from the 2011 statute and has never been funded to a level that would make it attainable. Fifteen years on, the gap between what the law directs and what the agency does has become a standing feature rather than a temporary shortfall.
For readers tracking specific investigations, the CDC publishes outbreak updates, and MedicalDaily has followed the Cyclospora investigation as case counts have climbed and has reported on enforcement letters sent to food importers. Anyone who has had prolonged or recurring watery diarrhea since early summer should ask a clinician specifically about Cyclospora testing, which is not included in standard stool panels and must be ordered.
Key Questions Answered
How many foreign food inspections does the FDA conduct? An average of 917 per year from fiscal 2018 through fiscal 2023, according to GAO's analysis of FDA data, or about 5% of the 19,200 annual target set by federal law. The best single year was fiscal 2019, at 1,727 inspections, or about 9% of the target.
Why is the target so far out of reach? GAO identified workforce capacity as the main constraint. The FDA had 432 investigators as of July 2024 for both domestic and foreign inspections. The agency has said the target is unrealistic but has not proposed an alternative to Congress.
Did the inspection gap cause the current outbreaks? No evidence establishes that. Cyclospora in particular contaminates produce through water and is not reliably caught by facility inspection. The outbreaks illustrate the scale of imported produce and the difficulty of tracing sources, not a proven causal chain.
What outbreaks are currently active? The CDC is tracking cyclosporiasis outbreaks affecting at least 20,000 people, with two deaths attributed in Michigan, and 345 Salmonella Javiana cases across 27 states linked to jalapeños traced to a single grower in Sinaloa, Mexico.
How large is the inspection workload? GAO reported roughly 75,000 domestic food facilities subject to FDA inspection at the end of fiscal 2023, alongside the foreign facilities covered by the 19,200 annual target.
What can households actually do? Wash produce under running water, keep raw and ready-to-eat foods separate, cook to recommended temperatures, and refrigerate promptly. Higher-risk individuals may want to cook produce when practical, since washing is less effective against parasites.
When should someone ask for Cyclospora testing? If watery diarrhea has been prolonged or has recurred since early summer. The test is not part of routine stool panels and has to be specifically requested.
