Richard Raymond, the USDA Undersecretary for Food Safety yesterday addressed food and restaurant industry groups. According to an article from the Associated Press:
Combining food safety agencies "is an unnecessary solution," Raymond told an audience of supermarket and restaurant industry executives Wednesday. "The USDA and the FDA have a long history of working together very well, and I think it’s been improved even in recent years," Raymond said.
Consumer groups voiced concerns over the bifurcated system, pointing to the fact that USDA and FDA may share authority on the safety of pizzas and other products.
In the article, Raymond acknowledged that the current system can be confusing when it comes to products such as pizza, but stated that he did not believe combining USDA and FDA’s food safety agencies would be beneficial.