Ex-FDA head celebrates rule change that will allow frozen cherry pies to be ‘especially thick’

Former Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Scott Gottlieb hailed the FDA’s proposed rolling back of federal regulations on frozen cherry pie.

“Thanks to the hard work of my FDA team in 2018, the Federal government will no longer be regulating the contents of frozen cherry pie,” Gottlieb tweeted Thursday. “The American people are free add extra fruit, sugar, and make the crust especially thick.”

BREAKING. NEW PROPOSED RULE: Thanks to the hard work of my FDA team in 2018, the Federal government will no longer be regulating the contents of frozen cherry pie. The American people are free add extra fruit, sugar, and make the crust especially thick. https://t.co/8iibxK3miN pic.twitter.com/NuIUc5d64F

— Scott Gottlieb, MD (@ScottGottliebMD) December 17, 2020

The FDA proposed rule comes in response to a citizen petition from the American Bakers Association, with the agency saying it “tentatively conclude[s] that these standards are no longer necessary to promote honesty and fair dealing in the interest of consumers.”

“We also tentatively conclude that revoking the standards of identity and quality for frozen cherry pie would provide greater flexibility in the product’s manufacture, consistent with comparable, nonstandardized foods available in the marketplace,” the agency added.