Washington Week Ahead: Recommendations for FDA overhaul due for release

An independent commission issues a report this week that’s expected to make far-reaching recommendations for fixing widely perceived weaknesses in the Food and Drug Administration’s human foods programs.

A Reagan-Udall Foundation panel tasked with analyzing the Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition and the Office of Food Policy and Response received input from a wide variety of food and nutrition groups as well as experts inside and outside the agency, many of whom commented anonymously through an online portal. The panel is chaired by former FDA Commissioner Jane Henney, 

One likely recommendation in the report to be released Tuesday is that the FDA establish a permanent deputy commissioner for foods who would report directly to the FDA commissioner, a goal of a broad coalition of industry and consumer groups that don’t normally agree on much. The panel probably also will address the issue of regulatory transparency. Read more