The U.S. Congress passed the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) in 2011, which represented the most significant overhaul of food safety laws in the United States since the 1930s. The act shifted the focus from responding to contamination to preventing it, giving the FDA new authority to regulate the food supply. The FSMA was a response to a series of foodborne illness outbreaks and concerns about the safety of imported food.

The FSMA was a major legislative achievement, and its passage was noted by food writers and poets who were concerned with public health and the ethics of food production. The act has been the subject of both praise and criticism, and it continues to be a reference point in discussions of food policy. The debates surrounding the FSMA have inspired literary works that explore the complexities of food regulation.