In December, United Natural Products Alliance (UNPA) President Loren Israelsen, along with four other trade association delegates, had a meeting with Jim Jones, who was named Deputy Commissioner for Human Foods last August. 
 
Based on the discussion, it’s expected that the implementation of the new Human Foods Program will focus on various recommendations of a recent Reagan-Udall Foundation report which provided observations, potential strategies, and tactics for the agency’s consideration. Among the priorities of this report were to address misinformation about health-related topics in the digital environment, taking preemptive communication strategies, and more.
 
As a result, the dietary supplements industry should remain familiar with the findings of this report, Israelsen said.
 
Per the discussion, the new Human Foods Program will usher in a new focus on chemical and food safety, Israelsen said, whereas emphasis was once on processes involved in food safety via the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA).
 
Jones also told the trade group representatives that the transition of the Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition (CFSAN) to the Human Foods Program is expected to take 6 months, and current staff are working to realize the new organizational structure, new priorities, and resource allocation for the Human Foods Program.
 
“What this all means for the dietary supplements industry remains to be seen, but the signals being sent suggest we focus on we should focus on chemical safety (pesticides, herbicides, colors, flavors, dyes, excipients, adulterants, and microbial risks) as a new priority, assuming that FDA enhances their focus on chemical risks,” said Israelsen. “The good news is regular trade association/FDA meetings were proposed, and ongoing updates will be provided by both sides.”