A 35-day federal government shutdown caused a sharp drop in food recalls in the first quarter of 2019, a survey by Stericycle Expert Solutions indicates.
Recalls initiated by the Food and Drug Administration totaled 99, marking a 36.5 percent decrease over the previous quarter.
Meanwhile, the US Department of Agriculture recalled 1.4 mn lbs of products,84 a 91.6 percent decrease compared to the previous quarter.
The drop was driven by a government shutdown which spanned nearly the whole of January, meaning that the decrease in recalls did not reflect better food safety standards.
The shutdown led to the closure of some federal facilities, with about 40 percent of FDA staff furloughed.
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