FDALegislativeWatch

Report Confirms China Food Safety Flaws, Suggests Cautious Cooperation

House Energy and Commerce Committee investigators confirmed flaws in China's food safety oversight, but also recommended the U.S. consider recognizing the country's system for approving products to be exported, according to testimony at a subcommittee hearing Oct. 11.

Import Safety Group Slates "Action Plan" For November Release

The Bush administration's import safety task force plans to lay out a road map for improving the import safety system by mid-November, the group says in a report issued Sept. 10.

CHPA Eyes DXM Action, FDA Revitalization, Imports As Congress Returns

In an Aug. 29 interview with "The Tan Sheet," Consumer Healthcare Products Association General Counsel Andy Fish, also the group's senior vice president of legal and government affairs, discussed CHPA's outlook during the rest of the congressional session for legislative activity that could affect the over-the-counter drug industry.

ORA Lab Closings Cancelled But Reorganization Not Off The Table - Staffers

FDA's head of regulatory affairs' Aug. 17 message to staff about cancelling plans to close seven field labs did not mark the end of the agency's ORA reorganization work, staff members say.

FDA Labs Stay Open

House Energy and Commerce Chairman John Dingell says an Aug. 17 decision by FDA to not proceed with reorganization plans that include closing seven of its field labs will maintain an "essential part of protecting consumers and ensuring the safety of our nation's food and drug supply." FDA has called off plans to close seven of its 13 labs as part of the Office of Regulatory Affairs reorganization it announced in March, Dingell and fellow Michigan Democrat Bart Stupak, Oversight and Investigation Subcommittee chairman, say in a release (¹"The Tan Sheet" March 26, 2007, p. 5). The House has passed legislation with FDA's fiscal 2008 appropriations with an amendment from Stupak that prohibits the agency from using any of the funding to pay for closing its field labs or ORA district offices....

This article is reprinted from "The Tan Sheet" – August 20, 2007

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© FDC Reports 2007 - All Rights Reserved

Dingell Food Safety Bill

House Energy and Commerce Chairman John Dingell's, D-Mich., draft legislation on food safety would require FDA to collect user fees on food imported into the U.S., with the revenue used to support import inspections, lab testing on import samples and research on testing techniques for intentionally adulterated food imports. The bill, which had not been filed or assigned a number as of Aug. 10, would also prevent FDA from closing or consolidating its 13 FDA field laboratories, Dingell says in an Aug. 3 release. "Without regular inspections and analysis there is little incentive for food producers and importers to ensure that our food supply is free from harmful and sometimes fatal contaminants," he says. The bill would grant FDA authority to issue mandatory recalls; require country of origin labeling; limit the number of ports of entry for food items; halt imports of certain products until a foreign facility can demonstrate that significant steps have been taken to rectify an identified problem; and increase civil monetary penalties for manufacturers or importers that violate the Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act. Dingell has been a frequent critic of FDA's food safety oversight and has said he would introduce legislation to bring about sweeping changes (¹"The Tan Sheet" July 9, 2007, p. 9)....

This article is reprinted from "The Tan Sheet" – August 13, 2007

Click here to start your 30-day, risk-free trial of "The Tan Sheet" – “The Tan Sheet” is the OTC and dietary supplement industry’s leading source of business and regulatory news and analysis.

© FDC Reports 2007 - All Rights Reserved

Congress Slams FDA Executives' Response To Staff's Food Safety Testimony

Members of Congress are accusing FDA senior officials of attempting to intimidate agency employees following their congressional testimony on FDA's food safety oversight performance.

House, Senate Appropriations Committees More Than Match Request For FDA

House and Senate appropriators made certain in their recommendations for fiscal 2008 appropriations that FDA would be given opportunity to extend the scope of its oversight, with both houses of Congress more than matching the President's request.

House Members Question FDA Lab Closures As Food Safety Problems Mount

House Energy and Commerce Committee members say FDA's plans to close more than half its field labs heighten their concerns about its ability to secure the U.S. food supply.

Bush Establishes Import Safety Group As Congress Grills FDA On Food Safety

President Bush established a working group July 18 to help guarantee the safety of food and other products shipped into the U.S.