President Obama selected Robert Califf, a new arrival in FDA’s senior ranks, to become the next commissioner of the agency that regulates products that account for 20 percent of consumer spending, said the White House. Califf, who became deputy commissioner in March, will succeed Dr. Margaret Hamburg, who left in March after nearly six years on the job. The FDA‘s duties include oversight of the food industry except for meat, which is under USDA jurisdiction. The agency is in the midst of an overhaul of food regulation that is designed to emphasize prevention of contamination and food-borne illness, rather than reacting to outbreaks.
The post requires Senate confirmation. Califf “is not expected to face serious opposition,” said the New York Times.
Currently the deputy commissioner for medical products and tobacco, Califf is a well-known cardiologist who spent the past quarter-century at Duke University in a variety of roles, including vice chancellor of the medical school and director of cardiac care at the university’s medical center. Stephen Ostroff, the FDA’s chief scientist, became acting commissioner upon Hamburg’s departure.
Ostroff and Michael Taylor, the deputy commissioner for food, are scheduled to testify today before a Senate Appropriations subcommittee on the agency’s “efforts to ensure the safety of the food supply and protect American consumers.” For details,click here.
The White House announced the selection on the same day the FDA Center for Tobacco Products ordered RJ Reynolds Tobacco Co. to halt sales and distribution of four cigarette products. The FDA said the products “have different characteristics” than their predecessor and Reynolds “failed to show that the new products do not raise different questions of public health when compared to them.”