Implementation of FDA’s Unified Foods Program to Begin Oct. 1

The reorganization of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to create a unified Human Foods Program (HFP) has been approved, with a target date of October 1, 2024, for implementation. FDA announced the proposed restructuring January 31, 2023, after reviewing the findings and recommendations of a Reagan-Udall Foundation evaluation. (A Packaginglaw.com article on the proposed creation of an HFP can be found here.)

In August 2023, FDA announced that James “Jim” Jones would serve as Deputy Commissioner for Human Foods and that he would report directly to FDA Commissioner Dr. Robert Califf, M.D. 

One of the three areas of focus for the HFP will be The Office of Food Chemical Safety, Dietary Supplements, and Innovation. It is anticipated that the Division of Food Contact Substances will be under this Office. An organizational chart for the new HFP is available on FDA’s website.

In an announcement on the establishment of FDA’s Unified Human Foods Program, Dr. Califf stated, “This is a distinctive moment for the FDA. I’m very pleased to see that after a year and a half of arduous work and effort put into this transformative vision for the FDA Human Foods Program and the architecture of the agency, we are a step closer to seeing the largest reorganization of the agency in recent history come to life this fall.”