Consumers rely on the FDA to ensure that safe, high-quality products are consistently available in the marketplace, but its outdated reviews and policymaking processes hinder it from doing so as efficiently and effectively as possible. FDA’s shortcomings can pose major issues for consumers, as was demonstrated a few months ago during the infant formula shortage. But there are opportunities for FDA to make significant and lasting improvements.
Implementing a modernized regulatory system along with key structural and governance changes would better provide for consumer safety, keep pace with rapidly evolving consumer preferences and harness growing opportunities to introduce innovative products to the marketplace. This can be achieved with policies that cut red tape and improve consumer communication, make successful pandemic-era policies permanent and increase transparency and industry collaboration.
Improve Speed with Less Red Tape and More Communication
One of the main problems that comes to mind with any federal agency is the bureaucratic red tape that slows down its work and is often compounded by the inefficiency of outdated technology. FDA must implement policies that ensure more timely reviews and decisions on the safety and labeling of novel foods and food ingredients. This will help get the new products that consumers want to market as soon as possible.
Similarly, FDA should move away from one-size-fits-all inspections to tailored, risk-based models for routine facility oversight and shift to proven, data-driven inspection methods, such as remote regulatory activities and federal-state coordination, to expedite the process without compromising safety.
Technology must also be embraced to enhance communication with consumers. FDA should relay information using updated channels such as text, email and social media, rather than relying on press releases. This will disseminate recall notices more quickly and help prevent sickness by getting hazardous products off store shelves and out of home kitchens before consumption.
Make Successful Pandemic Policies Permanent
Lessons learned in the pandemic should be leveraged by FDA. For example, temporary labeling flexibilities for ingredients that helped keep products on shelves during ingredient shortages should be extended. This policy proved helpful when the war in Ukraine sparked a sunflower oil shortage and companies were allowed to make minor changes to their products without impacting the allergen content or nutritional value.
As supply chain challenges continue – whether its extreme temperatures killing staple crops across the globe, the threat of a national freight rail shutdown or new pandemic outbreaks waves – permanent labeling flexibility can help safely prevent empty shelves when the next disruption strikes. As such substitutions are needed, digital tools should be embraced for sharing ingredient updates with consumers, in addition to providing product information not available on a standard physical label.
Expeditious public sharing of best practices is another successful pandemic-era policy that FDA should maintain. Formalizing industry collaboration on these efforts will prolong the benefits of boosted public-private partnership, as FDA continues to face new challenges and evolves.
Increase Transparency and Industry Collaboration
FDA must also prioritize growing its transparency efforts. This can be accomplished, in part, through thoughtful food traceability and product visibility implementation plans designed to inform consumers’ purchasing decisions. Further, a clear regulatory agenda for chemicals in packaging and products will help keep the industry in the loop on emerging standards and requirements, while improving risk assessments on and entering the market.
New polling data shows that the overwhelming majority of American voters want to buy products using packaging made from recycled materials. FDA should be a leader and expert in sustainable food packaging initiatives. FDA’s requirements need to work in concert with industry’s efforts to adhere to state recycled content mandates and packaging material bans, meet environmental commitments and fulfill consumer demand for sustainable packaging.
While some of these policies will take time to move forward, and others will require collaboration with Congress to put into place, they are all tangible goals well within FDA’s reach. If the goal is to protect consumers and ensure safe products are on our shelves, we can’t afford to continue relying on policies that aren’t keeping pace with consumer needs. We must move FDA out of past and into the present as swiftly as possible.
Sarah Gallo is vice president of product policy for the Consumer Brands Association, which represents nearly 2,000 iconic brands.