FDA selects Deputy Commissioner for proposed unified Human Foods Program

• By: AHPA
• On: 08/24/2023 17:27:52
• In: Regulation / Legislation

James “Jim” Jones to begin new position at FDA on Sept. 24, reporting directly to the FDA Commissioner

August 24, 2023

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently announced James “Jim” Jones will serve as the first Deputy Commissioner for Human Foods. In this new position, Jones would lead a unified Human Foods Program as part of the agency's proposed reorganization that includes relocating the Office of Dietary Supplement Programs (ODSP) and a new model for the Office for Regulatory Affairs (ORA). Jones will begin his role at FDA on Sept. 24, reporting directly to FDA Commissioner Robert M. Califf, M.D.

Jones' background includes 30 years in various roles with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and private industry with a focus on lessening the impact of chemicals and pollution on the U.S. food supply.

Notably, Jones also served as a member of the Reagan-Udall Foundation's Independent Expert Panel for Foods, which performed an operational evaluation of FDA's Human Foods Program and issued a December 2022 report recommending a unified vision and mission under a single leader to better equip the agency to regulate food in the United States.

“AHPA welcomes the selection of Jim Jones as Deputy Commissioner for Human Foods,” said Michael McGuffin, President of the American Herbal Products Association (AHPA). “We look forward to working with him as part of our ongoing engagement with FDA, and will communicate to him early in his tenure our continuing concern about the potential impacts of the proposed placement of ODSP under a larger office on the regulation of dietary supplements.”