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Food Safety

Photography

May FDA inspectors take pictures of the facilities that are undergoing inspection? FDA has repeatedly answered the question in the affirmative, telling inspectors that photography is a critical part of the inspection process. The food industry disagrees and has argued that photographs are authorized neither by statute nor by judicial doctrine. For an overview of these issues, see Neal D. Fortin, Is a Picture Worth More than 1,000 Words? The Fourth Amendment and the FDA's Authority to Take Photographs Under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, 1 J. Food L. & Pol'y 239 (2005). The following excerpt summarizes the apparent view of the courts on the matter.