FDA Appoints First Deputy Commissioner for Human Foods Program

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has found its first leader for its Human Foods Program, appointing 30-year Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) veteran James Jones as Deputy Commissioner.

The announcement comes amid an Agency reorganization following last year’s contaminated infant formula crisis which revealed the FDA’s need for greater oversight over food and chemical safety.Jones will report directly to FDA Commissioner Robert Califf and will have decision-making authority over all aspects of the Human Foods Program, including “resource allocation, risk-prioritization strategy, policy, and major response activities involving human foods,” the Agency said in a release.

Prior to his appointment, Jones co-authored a report on the FDA’s Human Foods Program in December as a member of the Reagan-Udall Foundation’s Independent Expert Panel for Foods. The report included recommendations for the Agency, including establishing an “organizational structure with a clear leader” that would allow the program to exercise more authority over nutrition and food safety requirements.

“I’m delighted to welcome Jim to the FDA,” said FDA Commissioner Robert Califf in the release. “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.”

Prior to the FDA, Jones held numerous positions within the EPA, including work on pollution and chemical safety related to the U.S. food supply, and was a “principal architect” of the 2016 Toxic Substances Control Act overhaul, the release noted.

Several industry groups have responded positively to Jones’ selection. Consumer Brands Association VP of product policy Sarah Gallo said in a statement yesterday that the appointment represents “a step toward modernizing the agency so it can move at the speed of the consumer” and that the Association will seek to partner with the Human Foods Program where it can.

“We are the makers of America’s food, beverage, household and personal care products that consumers depend on every day – providing products that are safe is our industry’s top priority,” Gallo stated. “Our companies follow rigorous safety standards and comply with regulations set by the FDA. It is, therefore, imperative for the deputy commission to defend its existing and comprehensive science-based system to deter patchwork state regulations that put the burden on consumers and undermine public health.”

Scott Faber, SVP for government affairs at the Environmental Working Group, also commended Jones, highlighting his work on the task force appointed to review the infant formula crisis which resulted in at least two deaths.

Representatives of groups including Consumer Reports, the Consumer Federation of America, the American Frozen Food Institute, and the International Dairy Foods Association likewise praised the appointment, The Fence Post reported.

The FDA initially proposed a “redesign” of its structure and the creation of the Human Foods Program in January to improve the Agency’s ability to prevent future food and chemical safety crises. The new model combines the functions of the Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition (CFSAN), Office of Food Policy and Response (OFPR), and “certain functions” of the Office of Regulatory Affairs into one program.

The program also includes the creation of a Center for Excellence in Nutrition, which focuses on consumer education efforts and working with food manufacturers to develop healthier products, as well as a new Office of Integrated Food Safety System Partnerships built around working with state and local regulatory groups.

“As a former pesticide regulator, I have a deep understanding of the unique needs of government programs involved in upholding safety of the U.S. food supply, as well as the important role that the agriculture community and state partners play in this paradigm,” Jones said in a statement. “I am honored to serve the FDA and the country in this new capacity.”