An Update from FDA’s Deputy Commissioner for Human Foods
Summary
TLDRAt the 47th Annual National Food Policy Conference, Deputy Commissioner Jim Jones of the US FDA discussed the agency's reorganization and focus on food safety, chemical safety, and nutrition. He highlighted the importance of collaboration with the food industry, regulatory counterparts, and consumer advocacy groups to ensure a safe and nutritious food supply. Jones emphasized the FDA's commitment to a risk-based approach, the need for greater awareness on import safety, and the development of action levels for heavy metals in food. He also touched on the FDA's efforts to improve nutrition through labeling initiatives and sodium and sugar reduction targets, stressing the necessity of stakeholder partnerships for public health improvements.
Takeaways
- 🌟 Jim Jones, the first-ever Deputy Commissioner for Human Foods at the US FDA, has been leading a newly redesigned human foods program since September of the previous year.
- 🛠️ Deputy Commissioner Jones has a background at the US Environmental Protection Agency, where he led significant programs including the overhaul of the Toxic Substances Control Act.
- 🔍 Jones is committed to transparency, as evidenced by his quick response to a FOIA (Freedom of Information Act) request, which was the fastest the questioner had ever received in their professional career.
- 🍽️ The FDA's proposed reorganization aims to create a unified human foods program, focusing on wellness through food safety, chemical safety, and nutrition, with implementation hoped for in fiscal year 2024.
- 🛡️ The FDA's approach to food safety involves a systematic risk management strategy, prioritizing interventions that have the greatest opportunity to prevent disease and illness.
- 🌐 The success of the new human foods program will be measured by the safety of the US food supply, and the FDA is working closely with the food industry and other stakeholders to achieve this.
- 🚫 The FDA is not resourced or organized to rely solely on compliance actions to ensure food safety; instead, it seeks a partnership approach with the industry based on mutual understanding and shared responsibility.
- 📋 The FDA is working on finalizing the 'Safe Production of Water for Use on Produce' rule and the 'Traceability' rule under the FSMA (Food Safety Modernization Act) to improve food safety and response to foodborne illness.
- 🔬 The 'Closer to Zero' program is an FDA initiative aimed at addressing heavy metals in food, particularly focusing on developing health-protective and feasible action levels for industry.
- 🍎 The FDA is also focusing on nutrition, with efforts to reduce sodium and added sugars in the food supply, and is considering the development of a healthy symbol for food packaging to help consumers identify healthier options.
- 🤝 Collaboration and leveraging the expertise of stakeholders and partners are key to achieving the FDA's goals for food safety and nutrition, emphasizing the need for a unified approach.
Q & A
What is the significance of the 47th Annual National Food Policy Conference?
-The 47th Annual National Food Policy Conference is an important event where key stakeholders in the food industry gather to discuss policies, safety measures, and innovations that impact the food supply and public health.
Who is Jim Jones and what is his role at the FDA?
-Jim Jones is the first-ever Deputy Commissioner for Human Foods at the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA). He has been leading a newly redesigned human foods program since September of the previous year, bringing his experience from the US Environmental Protection Agency.
What is the FDA's new approach to food safety under Jim Jones' leadership?
-Under Jim Jones' leadership, the FDA is focusing on making food about wellness through ensuring food safety, enhancing food chemical safety, and improving nutrition. The agency is working towards a systematic risk management approach to achieve these goals.
What is the FDA's stance on the use of 'Generally Recognized As Safe' (GRAS) self-determinations by manufacturers?
-The FDA views the GRAS self-determination process as a weakness in the system because it allows for self-certification without mandatory notification to the FDA. However, the agency has created a voluntary mechanism for manufacturers to submit their GRAS notices for review, and the majority do so.
How does the FDA prioritize its resources for addressing different food safety issues?
-The FDA prioritizes its resources based on a risk management approach, focusing on issues where intervention has the greatest opportunity for the prevention of disease and illness.
What is the FDA's strategy for dealing with imported foods to ensure they meet safety standards?
-The FDA is working on ensuring that imported foods are produced with the same level of safety as domestically produced food. The Foreign Supplier Verification Program (FSVP) requires importers to verify that the food they import meets all applicable safety requirements.
What is the FDA's 'Closer to Zero' program and what is its goal?
-The 'Closer to Zero' program is a multifaceted initiative aimed at addressing the realities of the growing environment and responding to the potential risks of early exposure to heavy metals. It focuses on developing health-protective and feasible action levels for industry, starting with foods intended for babies and young children.
What is the status of the FDA's proposal for a unified human foods program?
-The proposal for a unified human foods program was submitted by FDA Commissioner Caleff at the end of 2023 and is currently undergoing a formal external review process. The FDA hopes for its implementation sometime in fiscal year 2024.
How does the FDA plan to address the issue of sodium and added sugars in the food supply?
-The FDA is developing sodium reduction targets and is in the process of gathering information on how to address the overconsumption of added sugars. They are also considering the development of a healthy symbol for food packages and front-of-package labeling to help consumers make healthier choices.
What is the FDA's approach to collaboration with stakeholders in achieving its goals for food safety and nutrition?
-The FDA emphasizes the importance of working closely with the food industry, regulatory counterparts, and consumer advocacy groups. It believes in leveraging the expertise, information, and resources of its network of stakeholders and partners to make a difference in public health.
Outlines
🎉 Opening Remarks and Introduction of Deputy Commissioner Jones
The script begins with an introduction to the 47th Annual National Food Policy Conference. The speaker expresses gratitude to the attendees and extends a warm welcome to the stage to Jim Jones, the first-ever Deputy Commissioner for Human Foods at the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Since his appointment in September of the previous year, Jones has been leading a restructured human foods program. His background includes a significant tenure at the US Environmental Protection Agency, where he spearheaded the overhaul of the Toxic Substances Control Act and various sustainability initiatives. The speaker recounts a positive first impression of Jones and commends his commitment to transparency, exemplified by a prompt response to a Freedom of Information Act request. Despite challenges and differing opinions about the FDA's role, Jones is presented as a figure of hope and optimism for the future of the human foods program.
🛠️ FDA's Unified Human Foods Program and Food Safety Prioritization
Deputy Commissioner Jones discusses the proposed reorganization of the FDA's food program, emphasizing the importance of a unified approach to human foods. The reorganization proposal, submitted by FDA Commissioner Caleff in 2023, is undergoing external review with the hope of implementation in fiscal year 2024. The new structure aims to focus on wellness through food safety, chemical safety, and improved nutrition. Jones highlights the need for a systematic risk management approach to target interventions effectively. He acknowledges the high safety standards of the US food supply but also the human toll and challenges faced during foodborne illness outbreaks. The FDA's role is not just to police the industry but to work in partnership, emphasizing prevention over reaction. The discussion also touches on the importance of collaboration with the food industry, regulatory counterparts, and consumer advocacy groups.
🌱 FSMA Implementation and the Challenge of Imported Foods
The script delves into the impact of the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA), which introduced a prevention-oriented framework for food safety. The FDA, in collaboration with state and international partners, has been supporting the industry in meeting FSMA requirements. The act places responsibility on the food industry to identify hazards, prevent contamination, and ensure compliance. A significant issue raised is the safety of imported foods, with the Foreign Supplier Verification Program (FSVP) requiring importers to verify that imported foods meet safety standards. The recent Leen cinnamon applesauce incident is cited as an example of the need for greater awareness and enforcement of these requirements. Jones also calls for greater authority to require product testing for contaminants.
💧 Finalizing FSMA Rules: Water Safety and Traceability
The script discusses two specific FSMA rules: the agricultural water rule (awat rule) and the traceability rule. The awat rule is set to establish a system for assessing potential hazards in water used on produce prior to harvest. The FDA is developing resources to support compliance once the rule is published. The traceability rule requires recordkeeping for certain foods to enable a rapid and targeted response to foodborne illnesses, reducing waste from broad recalls. The rule also necessitates communication and sharing of product traceability information between industry members and the FDA, marking a significant shift in requirements.
🚫 Addressing Chemical Safety and Reducing Exposure to Heavy Metals
Chemical safety is a key focus, with the 'Closer to Zero' initiative aiming to tackle heavy metal exposure in foods, particularly for babies and young children. The FDA is developing health-protective and feasible action levels for heavy metals like lead, arsenic, and cadmium. The agency's authority to pursue action against any product is clarified, with action levels indicating when the FDA will take legal action. Collaboration with the USDA, manufacturers, and growers is emphasized to identify solutions for reducing heavy metals in food commodities. The script also mentions the need for a systematic framework for reassessing chemicals in food, following the removal of PFOA from grease-proofers used on paper food packaging.
🍎 Nutrition as a Cornerstone of Food Safety
Nutrition is highlighted as a fundamental aspect of food safety, with the goal of preventing illness and promoting wellness. The FDA is working on two labeling efforts to help consumers identify healthier food options, including finalizing the definition for the nutrient content claim 'healthy' and developing a healthy symbol for food packages. The agency is also focusing on reducing sodium and added sugars in the food supply, with the development of sodium reduction targets and considering limits for added sugars in school meals. The importance of a whole-of-government approach and collaboration with federal partners is underscored.
🤝 Collaboration and Stakeholder Engagement for Public Health Improvements
The script concludes with an emphasis on the importance of collaboration across stakeholders to achieve the goals of the FDA's human foods program. While acknowledging that there may be differing opinions and strategies, finding common ground is crucial for developing solutions that benefit public health. The need for the expertise, information, and resources of various stakeholders is highlighted, as is the importance of working together to make measurable and sustainable improvements to public health.
🗨️ Audience Q&A Session with Deputy Commissioner Jones
Following Deputy Commissioner Jones' presentation, an interactive Q&A session takes place. Questions from the audience address concerns about the FDA's approach to sodium reduction, the updating of qualified health claims, and the use of antibiotics in the poultry supply. Jones acknowledges the challenges and the need for a comprehensive strategy, including learning from international partners and working with various stakeholders. He also discusses the FDA's role in postmarket surveillance of food chemicals and the voluntary submission of GRAS notices by manufacturers.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡FDA
💡Deputy Commissioner for Human Foods
💡Food Safety
💡Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA)
💡Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA)
💡Chemical Safety
💡Nutrition
💡Risk Management
💡Regulatory Compliance
💡Public Health
💡Stakeholder Collaboration
Highlights
Introduction of Jim Jones, the first-ever Deputy Commissioner for Human Foods at the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
Jim Jones' background includes leadership in the Environmental Protection Agency and involvement in the 2016 overhaul of the Toxic Substances Control Act.
Jones has been leading a newly redesigned human foods program at FDA since September of the previous year.
The FDA's proposed reorganization aims to create a unified human foods program to impact food safety.
The unified human foods program is currently undergoing a formal external review process.
The vision for the new program includes focusing on wellness through food safety, chemical safety, and improved nutrition.
The new organizational framework will support a systematic risk management approach to food safety.
The success of the human foods program will be measured by the safety of the US food supply.
Imported foods need to be produced with the same level of safety as domestically produced food.
The FDA is requesting additional authority from Congress to require product testing for contaminants in foods.
Finalizing the Agricultural Water Rule to assess potential hazards in water used on produce prior to harvest.
Traceability final rule requires recordkeeping for certain foods to respond quickly to foodborne illness.
Closer to Zero program aims to reduce exposure to heavy metals in foods, especially for babies and young children.
FDA is working on a systematic framework for prioritizing chemicals for reassessment in food.
Improving nutrition is considered a key strategy in food safety and disease prevention.
FDA is working on labeling efforts to help consumers identify healthier food options.
Sodium reduction targets are being developed by FDA to lower sodium intake in the food supply.
Added sugars are being targeted for reduction in the food supply to combat obesity and chronic diseases.
Collaboration with stakeholders is essential for the FDA to achieve its goals in food safety and nutrition.
Postmarket surveillance of food chemicals is a challenge due to the GRAS (Generally Recognized As Safe) self-determination by manufacturers.
The FDA is reviewing the New York bill regarding the disclosure of GRAS determinations.
Transcripts
today so again thank you for being here
once again welcome to the 47th Annual
national food policy conference and now
to kick off our program I'm pleased to
Welcome to the stage the US Food and
Drug administration's first ever Deputy
Commissioner for human foods Jim Jones
um since September of last year Deputy
Commissioner Jones has taken the Helm of
a newly redesigned human foods program
at FDA he's a longtime veteran of the US
Environmental Protection Agency where he
led the
2016 U overhaul of the toxic substances
control act as well as several National
level sustainability programs including
the environmental preferable purchasing
program and the presidential green
chemistry Awards challenge uh I first
met Deputy Commissioner Jones when he
served on the Reagan Udall foundation's
expert panel charged with evaluating
fda's human foods
program and like many of you I I was
very impressed with the report that they
they put out uh uh in in part of that
process but what I was really impressed
with with Deputy Commissioner Jones uh
was when his name first surfaced uh
people that couldn't agree on whether
FDA should be funded uh were were in uh
uh just just wrapped a uh um Harmony
about uh what a great choice he he was
to to lead the humans Foods program and
um since his appointment um you know
I've been really impressed by his
commitment to transparency uh recently I
received the fastest response to a foyer
request I've ever received in my
professional career as a public interest
Advocate and uh maybe it's just subject
matter but but I you know I'd like to
think maybe he had something to to do
with that um so we know there are a lot
of strong opinions about what FDA is
doing uh and and he's definitely got his
work cut out for him but uh he's given
us uh hope for you reason for cautious
optim M and we are thrilled to have him
with us today Deputy Commissioner Jones
thank you for being
[Applause]
here thank you
Thomas it's been uh fascinating I I was
an assistant administrator at the UPA
which arguably is a higher rank but
nobody ever called me assistant
administrator was that guy or something
else and but there seems to be an
absolute Fascination in the FDA world to
use the term Deputy Commissioner I was
on my I I keep telling my staff Jim call
me Jim call me Jim Deputy Commissioner
Jones Deputy Commissioner I was on a I
had to do a call one day with my we were
I was driving and my wife was driving
and I was doing the call and it was on
speaker phone and she just could not
stop chuckling at how many times Deputy
Commissioner Jones was mentioned but
um I should take it as a
compliment it's great to be with you all
today and I know for many of you the
proposed reorganization of our food
program and how it will impact our
approach to food safety continues to be
of significant interest as you're likely
aware the proposal for a unified human
foods program was submitted by FDA
commissioner caleff at the end of 2023
it's currently undergoing a formal
external review process required of all
major federal
reorganizations we are very hopeful that
implementation can occur sometime in
fiscal year
2024 our vision for this work is already
taking shape we are focused on making
food about Wellness through ensuring
food safety enhancing food chemical
safety and improving
nutrition once the structures in place
we will have an organizational framework
that supports and facilitates a
systematic risk management approach to
achieving these
goals as we are currently resourced
prioritization in risk management is how
we can zero in on those issues where
intervent intervention has the greatest
opportunity for the prevention of
disease and
illness the success of the new human
foods program will largely be measured
by the safety of the US food supply and
while we are fortunate that ours is
among the safest Food Supplies in the
world for every food born illness
outbreak and contamination event
there is a human toll which can be
devastating for those individuals
impacted and their
families and each time the credibility
of the FDA and that of the entire food
safety system is questioned and consumer
confidence in the safety of foods is
diminished during these events there is
also a call for FDA to do more to police
the food
industry but we are neither resourced
nor organized to rely exclusively on
compliance actions as the incentive for
industry to meet its
responsibilities moreover catching
industry at failing is not the most
effective way to achieve our goal of
having a safe food
supply the food safety system is a
partnership based on the mutual
understanding that is that is in
everyone's best interest for the food
supply to be safe and
nutritious and as we work toward these
goals it is Essen IAL that we work
closely with the food
industry with domestic and foreign
regulatory counterparts and with
consumer advocacy
groups the focus on prevention of
disease and
illness attributed to food was
solidified 13 years ago when the food
safety modernization act ushered in the
reshaping of the food safety
system fsma gave FDA substantial new
authorities and responsibilities and a
framework for a prevention oriented
system to improve Public
Health through nine foundational rules
and over over 70 guidance documents the
FDA get together with our state and
international Partners has worked over
the last decade plus to support industry
in meeting the requirements of
fsma fsma also made clear that the food
industry is responsible for identifying
hazards and implementing practices to
prevent
contamination having systems in place to
respond to food safety failures and
ensuring they comply with all relevant
requirements one area where we and
Industry need to do a better job as
Imports to help ensure that imported
foods are produced in a manner that
provides the same level of protection as
as expected of domestically produced
food fsma
called for a fundamental shift in the
Imports
Paradigm under the foreign supplier
verification program or fsvp
importers are required to put in place a
program for verifying that the food that
they import meets all the applicable
safety
requirements our inspection activities
for the past few years indicate that
many import importers are unaware of
this
requirement the recent Leen cinnamon
cinnamon applesauce incident highlights
the need for greater Awareness on the
part of Industry of these requirements
and the need for FDA to give greater
attention to fsvp
implementation
another clear strategy is end product
testing this can immediately help
Safeguard the food supply and ensure
that foods with unexpected levels of
heavy metal such as lead do not make it
to
Market because FDA cannot require
companies to conduct this type of
testing we have asked Congress for
additional authority to require product
testing of foods for contaminants and to
make the records available for
FDA I'd like to also spend a minute or
two on two phys on two F fsma rules the
awat rule and the traceability rule this
spring we'll be finalizing the a water
rule through this Ru making we are
leading the world and laying out a
system for assessing assessing potential
hazards that could impact the safety of
water used on produce prior to harvest
and a risk- tiered approach for
addressing these hazards in order to
keep produce safe the team at EPA at FDA
I make that mistake a fair amount is
currently working on a number of of
fronts to develop resources so that we
are ready to Support Compliance once the
rule is
published another major fisma rule where
a lot is happening is the traceability
final rule which requires specific
recordkeeping for certain
foods successful implementation will
help us achieve a safer food supply that
is equipped to respond quickly and in a
targeted
fashion to food born illness it will
also help reduce the tremendous waste of
food and resources that occurs when
recall Nets recalls cast Nets that are
overly broad because we lack critical
information to Target only the
implicated
product unlike other fisma rules the
traceability rule requires communication
and sharing product traceability
information between members of the
industry and between industry and the
FDA in a way that hasn't been required
in the
past there is no question that this is a
heavy lift we're keenly aware that we
can't achieve the intent of the rule if
the requirements can't be met in the
timeline we have set out with compliance
dates 20 months out we are committed to
working with industry to get this
right sorry lost my page
here
I want to Pivot now to our chemical
safety
programs our closer zero program offers
a great example of where collaboration
can help move the needle on food
safety for those of you not already
familiar closer to zero is a
multifaceted initiative to contend with
the realities of the growing environment
and respond to emerging signs on the
potential risks of early exposure to
heavy metals the corner Stone of this
program is developing guidance to
Industry on action levels that are
Health protective and also feasible for
industry we are working on issuing
action levels on Le for Foods intended
for babies and young children followed
by action levels for arsenic and
cadmium I want to be clear about action
levels and our authorities under the
federal Food Drug and cosmetic act the
agency has authority to Pur pursue
action against any product at the
minimal detectable level of the
contaminant when it is injurious to
health action levels and tolerances
represent limits at or above which FDA
will take legal action to remove
products from the market to help support
reductions in the Commodities used in
food we're working closely with USDA and
in collaboration with manufacturers and
Growers to identify
Solutions we have we plan to expand this
approach Beyond baby foods since
children only eat them for a short
amount of time and we will look to
stakeholders to help us identify other
Foods where action levels would be
appropriate ultimately if we can make
small reductions in heavy metals in
whole swath of Commodities it can result
in a significant reduction exposure to
heavy metals from the overall diets of
our
children food safety is not only about
protecting food from contaminants and in
our new human foods program structure
our work on chemical contaminants and
food additives will be housed in the
office of food chemical safety dietary
supplements and
Innovation and as part of our work work
to enhance food chemical safety we are
embarking on creating a systematic
framework and criteria for prioritizing
chemicals for
reassessment as we have seen in the past
when new data and information become
available postmarket safety reviews can
raise important questions most recently
with our announcement about the removal
of P from G grease proofers used on
paper food P packaging the safety review
is critical to working with industry to
secure a phase out that eliminates the
primary source of dietary exposure to P
from food contact
applications we updated our list of
additives and contaminants we have
targeted for reassessment and in the
year ahead we will continue to share
updates on this list and information
about the development of our framework
criteria the most frequent question I
get is how can FDA influence state
chemical
restrictions my answer is that FDA needs
a more ambitious postmarket chemicals
program we'll also be continuing our
focus on nutrition and in the future
through our dedicated Nutrition Center
for excellence in the new human foods
program in many ways improving nutrition
can be thought of as the outermost limit
of food safety
prevention the goal for our programs is
ex the goal for all of our programs is
essentially the same the prevention of
illness and disease and the promotion of
wellness and across our efforts to
promote food safety we are very
intentional about maintaining access to
foods that are that Supply vital
nutrients
we know that fruits and vegetables whole
grains and dairy are critical for
healthy development and that good
nutrition is essential across the
lifespan right now with all the health
metrics related to diet related to diet
related preventable disease going in the
wrong direction improving Health
improving nutrition offers us one of the
best public health interventions for
reducing chronic illnesses and premature
death providing information is a key
strategy when it comes to helping
support consumer in making decisions
around
nutrition and in the year Ahad we are
work working on two labeling efforts to
make it quick and easy for people
particularly those with lower nutrition
knowledge to identify healthier
foods the first is a long time coming
with a finalization of the definition
for the nutrient content claim
healthy we are considering the comments
received to the ru making as well as the
current dietary guideline
recommendations and nutrition science as
we work to finalize the
role on a separate track from the
definition is our consumer research
related to work to develop a healthy
symbol that could appear on food
packages we're also working on on
issuing a proposed rule for front of use
for front of package
labeling we have conducted extensive
Outreach to get stakeholder input and
are carefully considering the input we
received as well as lessons from
International
experiences once the proposed rule is
issued I encourage you to submit
comments and other information
in addition to labeling we are targeting
two specific Nutri nutrition issues most
people in the US consume too much sodium
and added sugars from processed packaged
and prepared foods and I believe the FDA
industry have a meaningful and Industry
have the meaningful role and
responsibility to help Advance diet
changes and bring down the rates of
obesity and other chronic
diseases for sodium we are currently
developing the second draft second set
of dra
sodium reduction targets the data so far
from our first round of sodium targets
is preliminary but for the most part
encouraging we expect that lowering
sodium in the food supply will be a
gradual iterative stepwise process to
allow for reformulation and to help
consumers pallets adjust we will
continue to monitor the food supply to
see what the impact is we are also
targeting reductions in added
sugars added sugars is a good example of
where we benefit from a whole of
government
approach the science that supported the
dietary guidelines for Americans in 2015
supported our requirement for added
sugars to be declared on the nutrition
facts label and now USDA has proposed
limits for added sugars and School meals
we are still in the information
gathering
phase we are reviewing the comments we
received to our public meeting at the
end of last year and we will continue to
work with our federal Partners in
determining how to address the overc
consumption of added
sugars before I turn it over for your
questions I'd like to emphasize that
none of what we can accomplish can be
done by FDA
alone key to the vision of a unified
human foods program is strengthening our
relationships across our
stakeholders for us to successfully
reach our goal goals for food safety and
nutrition we must Leverage The expertise
of our network of stakeholders and
partners we each bring different tools
information and resources which if we
work together we can use to make a
difference in the health and well-being
of our fellow
Americans This doesn't mean we'll agree
on
everything difference of opinions and
strategies inherent in these types of
conversations but by coming together and
finding common ground we're in a much
better position to identify solutions
that work for as many entities as
possible to make the type of measurable
and sustainable improvements to Public
Health that eisma and the human foods
program has set for us we need the
collaboration of of our wide array of
stakeholders thank you for having me
today and I look forward to our working
[Applause]
together thank you very much for your uh
wonderful overview of what you're trying
to accomplish at the FDA I'm Michael
Jacobson founder of the national food
Museum um you you emphasized that FDA is
going to follow a risk-based approach to
allotting resources to focusing
attention uh Tom freden has estimated
that excess sodium is causing as many as
a 100,000 deaths per year I suspect
that's more deaths than just about
everything else FDA is working FDA
you're working on
combined I'm wondering um how many
dollars how many
FTE are assigned to pressuring industry
and educating consumers to reduce sodium
consumption it's great question and
sodium is definitely a high-risk uh uh
issue for Americans which is why we're
focusing on reducing sodium in the diet
and so our budget does come to us with a
range of restrictions on it and the
dollars that we get for nutrition are
are quite modest I will say um it's
probably this of the three major risk
areas that I talked about uh this
morning nutrition is by far the smallest
and that is associated with the amount
of money that we get for nutrition I
don't have the exact dollar amount on my
head but is absolutely the smallest when
it's compared to chemical food safety or
micro biological food safety has the FDA
had even one
full-time uh staffer working to pressure
industry to lower
sodium so we've got a rather significant
team of numerous people across many
parts of our organization that clearly o
when you add them all up are more than
one FTE I wouldn't say pressure pressure
is not not our statutory Authority is to
pressure it is to um uh help manage the
food supply in a way that makes it
healthier for Americans and that's
that's what our sodium reduction goals
have been about you know I suggest that
you look at the British program from
roughly 2005 to 2010 a successful
program to lower sodium levels that had
media advertising press conferences and
me um um pressure direct pressure on
industry you could call it persuasion if
you like U but it is far far more than
what the FDA is doing to reduce that
awesome death
toll thank you I appreciate that we we'
learn a lot from our International
partners that being said I will say
Congress has been very reluctant to give
FDA money
for advertising or um
marketing hi my name is Shelley
Maniscalco from nutrition and demand
it's very exciting that that um healthy
will be finalized and that will'll be
consistent with the dietary guidelines
taking a food group approach and as well
as um being updated to you know the
current dietary guidance versus years
past I'm wondering what your approach
will be to updating the qualified Health
claims as well as you know they're
currently associated with very very very
old dietary guidelines which have a
limit on total fat and does not you know
distinguish between
um the healthier fats and and saturated
fat as well as different um Nutri
nutrients of Public Health concern yeah
so I have to say I I've yet to spend
much time on the qualified claims yet
but I I've got some folks here who I bet
know the answer to that so maybe at the
break I can connect you with them and we
can get you an answer great thank you I
appreciate it
thanks hi thank you for being here I'm
Dr Katie Wilson executive director of
the urban School Food Alliance so we
represent the largest public school
districts in the country and their
school launch program
we spent two years trying to get
antibiotics out of the poultry system
and The Way We Were purchasing in
procurement and now of course we've
heard all these announcements um like
Chick-fil-A and and it it's really
because the largest supplier in the
country is decided not to do this
anymore and so this whole issue of
antibiotics not for human medicine and
you know we work with the George
Washington um antibiotic resistance
Center and so there's not the science to
show that isn't impacting human uh human
health so as FDA looking at antibiotics
we're really disappointed because of
course it's hurting us in our effort to
take antibiotics out of the particularly
the poultry Supply and School meals is
FDA looking at antibiotics in any way
shape or form or this whole issue of not
used for human medicine so I so the
center for veterinary medicine which is
not in my remit has the lead on that but
I'm actually I'm talking to that
director this afternoon so I'll I'll
pose that question to her and if you
give me your card I can get back to you
on that I'd be grateful thank you yeah
sure take it no one wants to ask a
question I I wanted to ask a follow-up
question on on your um comment about the
postmarket surveillance of of food
chemicals and
um maybe you could comment on the New
York bill that requires the disclosure
of the the secret grass determinations
and kind of how why is that not an
approach that FDA is
prioritizing so grass is an interesting
um um feature of the ffdca the
manufacturers do have the ability if
they meet certain criteria to make a
self-determination that a food is
generally recognized as safe and they
don't actually need to inform the FDA of
that I I personally view that as a a um
weakness in the system in that it it
creates the sense that there isn't any
government oversight our experience is
that the vast majority of Manufacturers
voluntarily submit their grass notices
to FDA for us to review them and
periodically we we will send them a
letter saying this doesn't meet the
criteria um we we have created that
voluntary mechanism because we think it
without it it undermines this the sense
that the that the the food safety the
food system is safe we actually have
very little evidence that manufacturers
are doing a grass determinations and not
noticing us we do some monitoring of the
food supply and so if we were to find a
chemical that wasn't in our in our
inventory either because we had approved
it or because the grass was voluntarily
submitted that would be a sing signal to
us that there was a possible either it
was just a violative ingredient or it
was a self- grath determination but we'd
follow up um we do not find that very
often so it does not seem that the
manufacturers are doing graphs without
giving us notice um so so we we feel
that I'm I'm sure the number is not zero
but we feel that the vast majority of
grass um determinations are being
submitted to FDA we do review them they
get a review the review is fundamentally
the standard of reasonable certainty no
of no harm um and as I said periodically
we find a a grass submission does not
meet that standard and we we post that
that those reviews are available so I I
think grass is a very challenging one
because because it's it's a allows for
the self certification of generally
recognized as safe but as I said we
created a pathway for manufacturers to
voluntarily submit and they seem to for
the most part you know more than the
most part the overwhelming majority do
seem to submit them to FDA for review
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