Food Safety. The FDA develops standards for foods including food ingredients and colour additives. It conducts research to improve detection and prevention of contamination, and collects and interprets data on nutrition, food additives, and pesticide residues. The agency also inspects food processing plants, imported products, and some animal food facilities. The FDA also regulates packaging, irradiation, other microbial reduction
technologies, and microwave ovens.

Food Defense. FDA works with other government agencies and private sector organizations to protect consumers and help reduce the risk to consumers of tampering or other malicious, criminal, or terrorist actions on the food and cosmetic supply.

Pesticides. The FDA enforces pesticide tolerances established by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for products within their jurisdiction.

Seafood. The FDA operates an oversight compliance program for fishery products under which responsibility for the product’s safety, wholesomeness, identity and economic integrity rests with the processor or importer, who must comply with regulations. In addition, FDA operates the Low-Acid Canned Food (LACF) program which is based on the Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP) concept, and is focused on thermally processed, commercially sterile foods, including seafood such as canned tuna and salmon. The FDA also provides consumption guidelines pertaining to various environmental contaminants that may be in seafood.