WASHINGTON, DC - Following the release of the Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) proposed reforms to the Human Foods Program, both Western Growers and the International Fresh Produce Association (IFPA) have issued statements welcoming the announcement, as well as the additional details to come in February as indicated by FDA Commissioner Califf.

“Western Growers applauds the Food and Drug Administration Commissioner and senior leadership for taking these first important steps to strengthen the Human Foods Program,” said Western Growers Senior Vice President of Science De Ann Davis. “We appreciate the Commissioner’s consideration of the recommendations of the independent expert panel convened by the Regan-Udall Foundation, as well as the voices of many diverse but united stakeholders in the need to improve the program’s culture of prevention, responsiveness, and transparency. The fresh produce supply chain needs a strong and engaged FDA to support our nation’s growers and their commitment to continuous improvement of safety, affordability, and accessibility of these highly nutritious foods.”

In the statement, Western Growers drew attention to multiple critical needs for produce safety, including:

• Increased state support and authority to assure a strong, sustained prevention agenda for farms
• Realized commitment to all the pillars of the agency’s stated New Era of Smarter Food Safety
• Investment in approaches that will rapidly improve a domestic grower’s ability to build upon their food safety prevention strategies, including improvement of the agency’s focus on applied research, outreach, transparency, technical assistance, and education

Jennifer McEntire, IFPA’s Chief Food Safety and Regulatory Officer, also commented on the proposed reforms.

“The changes proposed today represent significant steps in the right direction. The vision laid out by the Commissioner is likely to streamline decision-making within the Agency,” said McEntire. “The parts of FDA that produce industry members interact most closely with—inspectors, regulatory labs, and import operations, will still be managed separately within the Office of Regulatory Affairs, necessitating strong, collaborative leadership between the new Deputy Commissioner and ORA.”

To read IFPA’s full release, click here, and to view Western Growers’ statement in its entirety, click here.

As more critical industry updates come down the pike, ANUK will be here to report.

Western Growers International Fresh Produce Association