Which federal body oversees food safety regulations, aside from the meat industry?

The correct answer is the FDA, or the Food and Drug Administration. This federal agency is primarily responsible for ensuring the safety and proper labeling of food products, which includes a wide array of items such as processed foods, seafood, and dietary supplements. While the USDA oversees meat, poultry, and certain egg products, the FDA fills the critical role of regulating the safety of the majority of the food supply in the United States.

The FDA's responsibilities also involve monitoring the food supply for contaminants, establishing food safety standards, and enforcing regulations that help protect consumers from foodborne illnesses and unsafe food practices. As such, the FDA is essential to maintaining public health through its oversight of non-meat food sectors.

The other options do not fulfill the same role in food safety regulations. The U.S. Department of Defense primarily focuses on military operations and not food safety regulation; the U.S. Department of Agriculture does oversee certain food items but specifically in relation to meat and poultry; and the Environmental Protection Agency deals primarily with environmental protection issues and may regulate pesticide residues in food, but it is not the main body governing overall food safety. Therefore, the FDA is indeed the appropriate choice for overseeing food safety regulations outside of the meat industry.