Seizing a “once in a generation opportunity,” FDA commissioner Robert Califf said on Tuesday he would put more of the agency’s activities under the control of a yet-to-be-named deputy commissioner for human foods. Califf proposed additional changes in the Office of Regulatory Affairs, one of the components of the new Human Foods Program.
“Listening closely to feedback provided by employees and stakeholders, our thinking has significantly broadened,” said Califf, who announced in January a reorganization of food safety offices with the goal of nimbler and more efficient oversight. The FDA has jurisdiction over 78 percent of the U.S. food supply, including fruits, vegetables, and most prepared foods. Yet its work on food and nutrition is often overshadowed by its role in overseeing drugs and medical devices.
The Office of Regulatory Affairs (ORA) would have a core mission of conducting investigations and inspections of FDA-regulated productions under Califf’s proposal. Many of the other adjustments in the Human Foods Program listed by the FDA involved the ORA as well, with new duties and personnel.
The Consumer Brands Association said it was “encouraged that the FDA plans to address areas of duplication and refocus the Office of Regulatory Affairs on its core business, inspections, and investigations. We thank Commissioner Califf for taking another significant and necessary step toward transforming the agency into one that is properly equipped to ensure consumer safety and meet rapidly evolving consumer demand.”
Eight human and animal food laboratories currently managed by ORA will be “realigned” into the Human Foods Program, said the FDA. “These eight labs will team up with the four labs in the FDA’s current Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition to form a unified food laboratory enterprise under the HFP,” said the FDA.