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U.S. NEWS Wednesday 1 February 2023
FDA revamping foods program to move past 'constant turmoil'

By JONEL ALECCIA the deputy commissioner
AP Health Writer will not oversee FDA's vet-
The head of the Food and erinary medicine center.
Drug Administration on Califf said that's because
Tuesday announced an much of the center's work
overhaul of the agency's involves animal drugs and
food safety and nutrition devices, not food. In addi-
division, vowing that a new tion, the animal feed indus-
structure will better protect try worried that it would be-
consumers and the U.S. come "subsidiary to human
food supply. food," Califf said.
FDA Commissioner Dr. Rob- That disappointed Mitzi
ert Califf said he would cre- Baum, president of the
ate a new human foods nonprofit STOP Foodborne
program led by a deputy Illness. Human foods, ani-
commissioner with author- A sign for the Food and Drug Administration is displayed outside their offices in Silver Spring, Md., mal foods and outbreaks
ity over policy, strategy on Dec. 10, 2020. are often closely linked and
and regulatory activities for Associated Press they should be part of the
the part of the agency that same program, she said.
oversees 80% of the foods missioner for foods and vet- The revamped foods pro- vent foodborne illness out- "Any change is messy. It's
Americans eat. erinary medicine, said the gram will include a sepa- breaks. The plan also calls going to be disruptive,"
The move merges two ex- new deputy doesn't ap- rate center focused on nu- for a new expert advisory Baum said. "Why not make
isting FDA programs and pear to have full authority trition, including foods such committee to weigh in on all of the changes that
some regulatory authori- over the office responsible as infant formula, plus an food safety, nutrition and need to be made in order
ties. Tapping a single lead- for inspecting company office to coordinate state new food technologies. to create the most efficient
er "unifies and elevates the plants, laboratory testing, efforts to identify and pre- Under the new structure, and effective agency?"q
program while removing imports and investigations.
redundancies, enabling "If that's the case, the hu-
the agency to oversee man foods program at
human food in a more ef- the FDA will remain frag-
fective and efficient way," mented and the deputy
Califf said. commissioner will not be
The announcement follows empowered to make the
months of scrutiny of FDA change that is necessary,"
over contamination at a Taylor said.
Michigan factory that led Califf said that the deputy
to a nationwide infant for- commissioner will have
mula shortage. And it fol- authority over the human
lows a scathing report that foods budget and priori-
found FDA's food division ties. He said it would be a
was plagued by decentral- mistake to create "a mono-
ized leadership, indecisive- lithic organization" to over-
ness and a culture of "con- come aversion to change.
stant turmoil" that impeded "Just because there's been
actions to protect pub- resistance in the past, it
lic health. For years, the doesn't mean it can't work,"
agency has been criticized Califf added.
for responding too slowly The changes aim to
to outbreaks in produce, straighten out a convo-
heavy metals in baby food luted leadership structure.
and the need to reduce The FDA oversees human
sodium in the U.S. diet, and veterinary drugs and
among other issues. medical devices, along
Califf's actions drew mixed with much of the U.S. food
reviews from food safety supply. The Agriculture De-
advocates. Some said it partment also oversees
was a good start, while some food products.
others said he didn't go Frank Yiannas, the current
far enough to dismantle FDA deputy commissioner
ingrained structural prob- for food policy and re-
lems. "I think it does a good sponse, is leaving his post
job of identifying the essen- next month. Susan Mayne,
tial problems and address- director of the current Cen-
ing them head-on," said ter for Food Safety and
Dr. Peter Lurie, who heads Applied Nutrition, said in a
the Center for Science in statement that Califf asked
the Public Interest, which her to stay on through the
focuses on consumer nu- transition. The new deputy,
trition, food safety and who will report directly to
health. the commissioner, will be
Mike Taylor, who previously named by spring, Califf
served as FDA deputy com- said.