The US Food and Drug Administration has reorganized the Foods and Veterinary Medicine program, FDA recently announced in its Federal Register.

As part of the reorganization, completed in October 2012, the Office of Foods was renamed the Office of Foods and Veterinary Medicine, led by deputy commissioner for foods and veterinary medicine, Michael Taylor.

According to FDA: “The Office of Foods was created in 2009 to elevate leadership on food and feed safety and to reflect the vision that success on food and feed safety requires an integrated approach that leverages resources. This reorganization will further the integration that has already been achieved and better position the program to implement the FVM Strategic Plan for 2012-2016 and the Food Safety Modernization Act, which emphasizes a systematic approach to risk-based priority setting and resource allocation.

“Under the reorganization, the Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, led by Michael Landa, and the Center for Veterinary Medicine, led by Bernadette Dunham, continue to report to Deputy Commissioner Taylor and remain the major operating units with responsibility for leading operations and regulatory policy development in their respective areas.”

The following changes within the immediate office of the Deputy Commissioner for Foods and Veterinary Medicine were also made:

• The Associate Commissioner for Foods and Veterinary Medicine position was created, with Linda Tollefson serving as the full deputy to the deputy commissioner.
• The Office of Resource Planning and Strategic Management was created, led by Erik Mettler, to provide a focal point and leadership for risk-based priority setting, resource allocation, budget formulation and other strategic management topics.
• The Office of Coordinated Outbreak Response and Evaluation Network became part of the immediate office, led by Kathleen Gensheimer, chief medical officer.
• The Communications and Public Engagement Staff, led by Sharon Natanblut, was created to provide leadership for advancing the public’s understanding of the program’s actions, decisions, research and other initiatives.
• A Chief Science Officer/Research Director position, held by David White, was created to lead and integrate laboratory and research and methods development activities, as well as lead collaboration with the external research community.
• The Executive Secretariat Staff position, currently vacant, was created.