AskUSDA (2024)

FAQs

What is AskUSDA? ›

​​​ AskUSDA is a contact center that answers general inquiries from the public using trained agents and self-service options. To date, AskUSDA has partnered with 19 agencies to improve the customer experience offered to the public.

Our agencies help to keep America's farmers and ranchers in business and ensure that the nation's commercial supply of meat, poultry, and egg products is safe, wholesome, and properly labeled.

The USDA is responsible for overseeing farming, ranching, and forestry industries, as well as regulating aspects of food quality and safety and nutrition labeling. The USDA is further tasked with administering several social welfare programs including free school lunches and food stamps.

USDA is committed to ensuring that Americans have access to safe food through a farm-to-table approach to reduce and prevent foodborne illness. To help ensure a plentiful supply of food, the Department detects and quickly responds to new invasive species and emerging agricultural and public health situations.

From the inspection of domestic product, imports, and exports; conducting risk assessments; and educating the public about the importance of food safety, USDA is there.

The Food Safety and Inspection Service

FSIS protects the public's health by preventing illness from meat, poultry, and egg products. We do this by ensuring these products are safe, wholesome, and properly labeled.

USDA is responsible for regulating meat and poultry, processed egg products, and catfish, whereas the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) oversees food safety for fresh eggs and almost all other foods.