The furloughing of hundreds of Food and Drug Administration inspectors has sharply reduced inspections of the United States's food supply — one of the many repercussions of the partial government shutdown, reports The Washington Post.
The agency, which oversees 80 percent of the food supply, has suspended all routine inspections of domestic food processing facilities, FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb said in an interview.
He is working on a plan to bring inspectors back as early as next week to inspect facilities considered high-risk because they handle sensitive items such as seafood, soft cheese and vegetables, or have a history of problems.
