Commissioner Hamburg to Travel to India and more

Advocacy at a Glance offers you the bullet point summary of current advocacy issues associated with the goals of the Alliance for a Stronger FDA.

• Commissioner Hamburg to Travel to India. From February 10-18, Commissioner Hamburg with be in India for meetings intended to strengthen cooperation between the FDA and its Indian regulatory counterparts. Both food and medical products, as well as inspections, are expected to be discussed.

• FDA Reorganizes Food Safety Compliance. As part of the Commissioner’s initiative to create more organizational efficiencies, there will be changes in food safety compliance activities, particularly as they relate to the Food Safety Modernization Act. In the past, inspection staff in the Office of Regulatory Affairs have been cross-trained to do any inspections that were needed. A key change is to make inspectors more specialized, with emphasis on having more people in ORA whose responsibilities are solely for food safety.

• FDA Deputy Commissioner for Foods Tells Congress that Additional Funding is Needed. In testimony before the House Energy and Commerce Committee, Deputy Commissioner for Foods and Veterinary Medicine, Michael Taylor, made clear that full implementation of FSMA will require additional funds well above current levels. The Administration’s expectations in its FY 14 budget request was that these additional food safety funds would come from new user fees, although it is not clear what will be in the FY 15 request to be released in early March. Prior to the hearing, a coalition of food industry groups sent letters to Commissioner Hamburg and OMB stating their continued opposition to food user fees.