U.S. FDA set to reorganize its food division starting October

(Reuters) - The U.S. Food and Drug Administration(FDA) said on Thursday it plans to restructure its food division starting in October helping it to oversee human food supply chains and agricultural products more efficiently.

The regulatory body had come under fire over its slow response to the infant formula shortage in 2022.

WHY IT'S IMPORTANT

The FDA said the reorganization will enable it to be more efficient and agile while regulating the industry.

The reorganization will lead to the creation of a unified Human Foods Program (HFP), the adoption of a new model for the FDA's field operations among other changes.

The HFP will take over the roles of the Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition and the Office of Food Policy and Response, along with key functions from the Office of Regulatory Affairs, which will be renamed to the Office of Inspections and Investigations.

KEY QUOTE

"This is a distinctive moment for the FDA... We are a step closer to seeing the largest reorganization of the agency in recent history come to life this fall," said FDA Commissioner Robert M. Califf.

CONTEXT

The FDA announced the HFP's establishment last year after being criticized for not providing enough resources for its food-related programs in wake of infant formula shortage.

The changes were made in line with the recommendations made in 2022 by the Reagan-Udall Foundation, an organization in part funded by the health regulator, that assessed how the agency could shore up its food operations.

The agency, in September last year, appointed James Jones, an EPA veteran, as its deputy commissioner for human foods, and put him in charge of setting up the human foods program.

(Reporting by Puyaan Singh in Bengaluru; Editing by Tasim Zahid)