Should the U.S. Stop Buying Some Imported Foods Essay

Should the U.S. Stop Buying Some Imported Foods - Essay Example This research will begin with the statement that in recent years there has been increasing consumer demand for imported food within the U.S., with a desire for numerous varieties of exotic food and out-of-season foods, fueling the controversy over whether allowing so much imported food into the U.S. is in our collective best interest. Legislation has been passed to improve inspection of imported food, but it would be too expensive to inspect all of it. My position is that the U.S. should stop buying food imported from some countries because it puts our public health at risk, undermines the U.S. economy, and puts the U.S. at increased risk for bioterrorism. Imported food increasingly puts our public health at a greater risk   One reason for this is that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) safety testing has been cut in half since 2003 and the number of FDA employees involved in food testing has dropped 12 percent.   Only 1.3 percent of imported food was inspected in 2006. This has been enough to erase the gains made in inspections following 9-11 when concern about the safety of imported food was the highest. Imported food faces the same health risks as food grown locally, which in recent times has caused E. coli and Salmonella food poisoning illnesses. But it would be much more expensive for FDA inspectors to inspect the farms and other sources of tainted food when it is overseas if they were even given the authority. These problems make limiting imported food appears to be a wise choice, in order to avoid outbreaks of disease.