Final answer:
The inspection of eggs in the United States is primarily the responsibility of the USDA, while the FDA enforces safety regulations related to food supply. The USDA grades eggs for quality, and the FDA, along with other agencies, ensures the safety and proper labeling of food products.
Step-by-step explanation:
In the United States, eggs are inspected by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). The USDA's Agricultural Marketing Service is responsible for the inspection, grading, and certification of eggs to ensure they meet established quality and condition standards. This service provides assurance of quality and consistency which benefits both producers and consumers.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) also plays a role in regulatory inspections and enforcement actions related to the safety of the food supply, including eggs, through various laws and regulations such as the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act and the Public Health Service Act. While the FDA ensures the safety of the food products and oversees labeling, the USDA is specifically responsible for the quality grading of eggs.
The government's role in food safety also includes setting and enforcing strict rules of hygiene in food handling in stores and restaurants, ensuring traceability of food products, and the certification of irradiation processes used on different types of food, including eggs with shells, as deemed safe by the FDA and other agencies like the CDC and EPA.