The Difference Between FDA And USDA Food Regulations, Explained

If you've ever taken a good look at your food packaging, the names of the USDA and FDA will always come up. From the news, you probably vaguely understand that these alphabet organizations have something to do with food inspection ... but what exactly do they do, and why are they everywhere? Here's the deal: For a food product to be legally circulated in the U.S., it must first be inspected and approved by either the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) or the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). 

Which organization handles what will depend on the kind of food in question. The USDA handles anything that's farmed, meaning domestic meat (think beef, pork, lamb, and so on), poultry, processed eggs, raw produce, and catfish (that's not a joke). Anything that doesn't fall into these categories is handled by the FDA: non-catfish seafood, game meat, shell eggs, dairy, and any food and beverage that's been "processed" (that is, frozen, canned, or bottled).

Still confused? No worries, even experts often argue about "who handles what" between the FDA and USDA. A simple frozen pizza is often used to demonstrate the confusing overlaps between the two. Since a cheese pizza only has dairy, it'd fall under the jurisdiction of the FDA. But what if you add even one slice of pepperoni? That's meat, so your one-slice-pepperoni pizza is now under the USDA's purview. This is why if we want to understand these organizations and the roles they play, we need to delve deeper into each one!

Created in 1862 by President Abraham Lincoln, the USDA is essentially the grandfather of food regulations. Its original mission (per Cornell Law School) was quite broad, handling anything related to "agriculture, rural development, aquaculture, and human nutrition." Today, most of its food safety work happens through a division called the Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS). FSIS-USDA inspectors are exactly the people you imagine when you hear the name "food inspector." They're the ones showing up at meat, poultry, and egg-processing plants across the country with clipboards in hand and shrewd gazes to make sure everything meets safety standards. 

Their authority over these food sectors comes from three key laws: the Federal Meat Inspection Act, the Poultry Products Inspection Act, and the Egg Products Inspection Act. And in a weird (plus controversial) bureaucratic twist, since 2008, they've also been in charge of inspecting catfish (yes, just catfish, no other seafood). But there are limits to what they oversee. Per their Food Standards and Labeling Policy book, processed foods with minimal meat content — less than 3% raw meat, 2% cooked meat, or 30% fat — fall outside their territory and into the FDA's lap. 

Beyond safety checks, the USDA's food-related duties also involve handing out beef cut grade labels (those USDA Select, Choice, and Prime stickers on beef packaging), Certified Organic, and Certified Tender qualifications, and they're also among the authors of dietary guidelines that are cited by dieticians and nutritionists throughout the country. But here's a surprising number: The USDA actually only regulates about 20% of America's food supply. The other 80% is handled by the FDA.

The FDA, an agency working under the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), regulates the vast majority of the food we eat today. President Teddy Roosevelt established it back in 1906 through the Pure Food and Drugs Act and gave it a pretty impressive reach: The FDA inspects game meats, dairy, almost all seafood (except that oddball catfish), processed fruits and vegetables, shell eggs (while the USDA deals with processed eggs), bottled beverages, and basically all packaged foods with minimal meat content.

Since the FDA oversees about 80% of America's food supply — way more than the USDA — they can't possibly inspect everything hands-on like the USDA does. Instead, they ensure compliance by using what's called a risk-based, tiered approach, meaning places making foods that could easily make you sick (like dairy farms) get checked more often than facilities producing non-perishables. 

Most of us only think about food regulation when we're splurging on a pricey steak or squinting at nutrition facts while grocery shopping. But both of these agencies are quietly working every day to keep our food safe. In fact, each day you don't hear about food recalls or contamination outbreaks is a day they're doing a good job. You don't need to memorize which agency handles what — that's their headache, not yours. But knowing the basics and each organization's programs can help you shop smarter (plus, you'll know who to thank when you don't get sick)!