Food Safety Certification Practice Test

Which federal agency is responsible for ensuring the safety of meat, poultry, and catfish egg products?

1. Environmental Protection Agency

2. Food and Drug Administration

3. U.S. Department of Agriculture

4. Center for Disease Control

The correct answer is: U.S. Department of Agriculture

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is the federal agency tasked with ensuring the safety of meat, poultry, and catfish egg products. This responsibility includes overseeing the processing, packaging, and inspection of these food items to maintain safe standards for public consumption. The USDA has established regulations and conducts inspections to prevent foodborne illnesses related to these categories of food. The agency is specifically dedicated to enforcing the Federal Meat Inspection Act, the Poultry Products Inspection Act, and the Catfish Inspection Act, which set stringent requirements for hygiene, processing, and labeling to ensure that these products are safe for consumers. The USDA works closely with various programs and initiatives to promote food safety from production through consumption, making it a pivotal agency in the field of food safety for these specific products.