We use cookies to provide you with a better experience. By continuing to browse the site you are agreeing to our use of cookies in accordance with our Privacy Terms and Cookie Policy

The Food and Drug Administration will take a look at its policy for approving animal feed ingredients, which has been criticized for treating them as animal drugs subject to lengthy reviews.

In response to questions from Sen. Jerry Moran, R-Kan., at a Senate agriculture appropriations subcommittee hearing Wednesday, FDA Commissioner Robert Califf said he was “committed to reviewing” the agency’s policy on feed ingredients. 

The U.S. has pledged to reduce methane emissions by 30% by 2030 as part of a promise to cut greenhouse gases that contribute to climate change, and numerous feed ingredients have shown promise in significantly reducing methane from livestock. 

Bovaer, a product developed by Royal DSM that the company says consistently reduces emissions by 30%, has received approval in the European Union, for example, but is under consideration at FDA as an animal drug. The agency has consistently declined to comment on the status of its application.

“The impact on emissions has got to be an important consideration,” Califf said. After the hearing, he noted that Moran has not been the only lawmaker to question him about FDA’s process, which has been criticized by feed manufacturers.

Also at the hearing, Califf and other officials responded to criticism of the agency’s food safety oversight, which has intensified as the nation has dealt with an infant formula shortage caused in part when a plant had to be shut down after FDA inspectors found numerous violations.

Califf noted that on Tuesday, he announced a comprehensive review of the agency’s human foods programs, which will be completed within about three months after the contract details have been worked out. The agency is working with the Reagan-Udall Foundation to gather “external agency experts” for a review.

Don’t miss a beat! It’s easy to sign up for a FREE month of Agri-Pulse news! For the latest on what’s happening in Washington, D.C. and around the country in agriculture, just click here.

Califf was accompanied at the hearing by Susan Mayne, director of the Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition; Frank Yiannas, deputy commissioner for Food Policy and Response, and Michael Rogers, assistant commissioner for Human and Animal Food Operations.

Following the FDA panel, the subcommittee heard from Brian Ronholm, director of food policy at Consumer Reports, and Sarah Gallo, vice president for product policy at the Consumer Brands Association.

Gallo said “the lack of a single, full-time, fully empowered, expert leader affects all aspects of the FDA’s food program. Inefficient decision making has slowed reviews, hindering progress and even rendering innovation obsolete. Inexperienced and undertrained inspectors are being sent into the field. A split and siloed food program undercuts communication and collaboration at the expense of efficiency and responsiveness.”

CBA and a broad range of business and public health groups called on Califf in April to ”unify the FDA food program under a deputy commissioner for foods, with accountability to the commissioner and direct line authority over CFSAN, (the Center for Veterinary Medicine], and the food-related components and operations of (the Office of Regulatory Affairs.)

You must have JavaScript enabled to enjoy a limited number of articles over the next 30 days.

This week’s Open Mic guest is Steve Censky, CEO of the American Soybean Association. Over 200 soy farmers and industry leaders were in Washington for their summer board meeting and visits with leaders on Capitol Hill. The 2023 farm bill was at the top of issues that included land and water regulations, crop protection products, the rail industry and labor issues. Censky says soy leaders may have real concerns about any shift in farm programs to margin coverage instead of revenue or reference prices.

In this opinion piece, Prof. P. V. Vara Prasad, Ph. D., of the Commission on Sustainable Agriculture Intensification (CoSAI) discusses recent research that produced a new global sustainability framework for agricultural innovation. 

This week’s activity on Capitol Hill featured a hearing offering growers and crop insurance industry stakeholders the chance to weigh in on what they would like to see in the next farm bill. That hearing was chaired by Illinois Democrat Cheri Bustos, who joins Newsmakers to discuss what she learned and how she’s helping Congress prepare for the upcoming legislation. 

Then, a panel of crop insurance policy experts including former House Ag Committee Chair Mike Conaway of the Conaway Graves Group, Bev Paul with Gordley Associates and Tom Sell with Combest Sell & Associates describe the politics surrounding crop insurance and other key policy areas as farm bill preparations pick up.

Want to receive Newsmakers in your inbox every week? Sign up! http://eepurl.com/hTgSAD

Stay in the loop for upcoming Agri-Pulse webinars and events! Join our mailing list here: http://bit.ly/Agri-Pulse-Events

Agri-Pulse and Agri-Pulse West are your comprehensive sources of the latest in agricultural information. We take a holistic approach to covering current ag, food and energy policy news and we never miss a beat. We make it our duty to inform you of the most up-to-date agricultural and food policy decisions being made from Washington, D.C. to the west coast and examine how they will affect you: the farmer, the lobbyist, the government employee, the educator, the consultant, and the concerned citizen. We investigate several aspects of food, fuel, feed, and fiber industries, looking at the economic, statistical, and financial trends and evaluate how these changes will impact your business. We provide insight on the people and players who are making things happen. Agri-Pulse provides you with timely updates of how policy decisions will affect your productivity, your pocketbook, and your livelihood. Whether it be new developments in international trade, organic foods, farm credit and loan policies, or climate change legislation, we keep you abreast of the information you need to stay on the cutting edge.