Facing accusations that (in the words of one senator) Food and Drug Administration errors “have led to outbreaks or critical shortages and individuals getting sick,” FDA Commissioner Dr. Robert Califf has admitted that its food safety program is “stressed” and needs reform, and that a “sub optimal” working environment also “needs to be reformed.” To solve these problems, the agency has taken some early steps and asked a closely related non-profit that it financially supports to come up with the answers.
The food safety process hasn’t just recently been broken — it’s been broken for decades. Dr. Califf’s acknowledgment, while overdue, is a step forward. How big a step will depend on how much the reforms embrace a wide range of innovations.
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