Food Safety

FDA has provided commissioned corps officers as part of the overall HHS deployment of medical equipment and resources to help address public health needs and assess critical health infrastructure needs in the wake of Hurricane Harvey.

FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb announced Friday (Aug. 25) that the agency will issue guidance by the end of the year to help food establishments meet federal menu labeling requirements by next year's extended compliance date -- a move viewed by stakeholders as indication the agency won't further delay the compliance deadline even though FDA recently told a federal court it is reviewing all options as it reviews comments on its interim final rule.

Answering the calls of congressional Republicans, FDA is siding with the food industry in a lawsuit seeking to stop New York City's menu labeling regulation from being enforced until FDA implements its national standard.

The House Energy & Commerce Committee on Thursday (July 27) passed 39-14 bipartisan legislation that would loosen the Affordable Care Act's menu labeling requirements for certain food establishments, give HHS more flexibility to set compliance dates and limit liability for noncompliance with labeling requirements, despite concerns from some Democrats that the bill would create confusion in the marketplace and weaken current requirements.

FDA is stopping work on several key rules including those regulating compounding, direct-to-consumer prescription drug advertising, child-focused tobacco sales, dietary supplement manufacturing practices and food safety testing, according to a list published Friday (July 21) by the White House Office of Management and Budget.

A group of food industry groups are suing New York City to stop its regulation of menu labeling requirements that are set to be enforced by the city next month.

House appropriators are proposing to fund FDA at the same level in fiscal 2018 as the agency received this year, rejecting President Donald Trump's call to cut the agency's budget and ask industry to pay more in user fees.

The Center for Science in the Public Interest and the National Consumers League sued FDA Wednesday (June 7) for delaying implementation of the menu labeling rule, saying the agency's move was illegal because there was no prior notice or opportunity for stakeholder comment.

FDA is no longer under a hiring freeze and will soon institute a rapid process for filling vacant positions, FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb wrote to agency staff in an internal memo Thursday (May 25).