During a foodborne illness outbreak, which agency conducts inspections and recalls?

• A. CDC
• B. EPA
• C. FDA
• D. USDA FSIS

Answer: (C)

During a foodborne illness outbreak, the agency responsible for inspecting facilities and coordinating recalls for most foods is the FDA. The Food and Drug Administration regulates safety for a broad range of foods—dairy, seafood, produce, packaged foods, and more—and it conducts inspections of manufacturing and processing facilities to ensure compliance with current good manufacturing practices. When a safety issue is identified, FDA leads the recall process to remove affected products from the market, often coordinating with industry, state, and local authorities.

The CDC, by contrast, is the public health authority that conducts outbreak investigations and tracks illness patterns, but it does not perform facility inspections or issue recalls. The EPA handles environmental and pesticide-related matters, not routine food facility oversight. The USDA FSIS oversees meat, poultry, and processed egg products; for those specific product categories, FSIS would handle inspections and recalls. Since the question refers to inspections and recalls in a broad food supply context, FDA is the best match.