FDA Appoints New Leader for Human Foods Program Following Baby Formula Crisis

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) made an announcement on Wednesday regarding the appointment of the inaugural leader for a new program dedicated to human foods. This program is part of a larger effort by the FDA to reorganize itself after facing a crisis involving contaminated baby formula last year.

James Jones, previously an official at the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), will be taking up the role of deputy commissioner for Human Foods starting on September 24. During his time at the EPA, Jones specialized in regulating pesticides and worked towards minimizing the impact of chemicals and pollution on the food supply in the United States.

The newly established human foods program will be responsible for overseeing various areas including food safety, chemical safety, and nutrition. The FDA aims to enhance the resilience of the U.S. food supply in the face of challenges posed by climate change and globalization, as well as to help combat diet-related diseases.

For a long time, the FDA has been under scrutiny for not allocating enough resources to its food safety program. These concerns were highlighted last year when a shortage of infant formula resulted in panic among parents.

The human foods program brings together two separate divisions to create a unified program. The deputy commissioner will have decision-making authority over policy, strategy, regulatory program activities, resource allocation, and risk prioritization.

FDA Commissioner Robert Califf initiated this overhaul of the agency after a critical external review of the FDA’s food program in 2022. The review found the agency to be slow and averse to risk.

James Jones was part of the team from the Reagan-Udall Foundation involved in writing the report, which concluded that the FDA’s structure discourages collaboration, results in redundant roles, and lacks effective internal and external engagement.

Commenting on the appointment, Califf expressed confidence in Jim’s leadership and stated, “Our proposed reorganization is the largest undertaking of its kind in recent history for our agency. I’m confident that under Jim’s leadership, we will build a stronger organization that will be integrated with other components of the FDA and focused on keeping the foods we regulate safe and nutritious, while ensuring the agency remains on the cutting edge of the latest advancements in food science and nutrition.”

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