The Government Accountability Office (GAO) urged the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to strengthen its oversight of the safety of food purchased for the federal school meal program. Among the top priorities laid out by GAO: develop a systematic and transparent process in determining food safety policies for purchasing commodities.The report found that for 7 of approximately 180 commodity foods purchased for federal nutrition programs, USDA has established food safety purchasing requirements that go above and beyond federal regulations for the same foods in the commercial food supply. "For example, the commodity program will not purchase ground beef that tests positive for Salmonella bacteria, while federal regulations for commercially available ground beef tolerate the presence of a certain amount of Salmonella," says GAO in a 32-page report.
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