Government Regulatory Agencies and Impact on Consumer Choices Outline
Government Regulatory Agencies and Impact on Consumer Choices Outline
HCS 490
May 26, 2012
Kathy Loy, MBA
Government Regulatory Agencies and Impact on Consumer Choices Outline Congress passed the original Pure Food and Drugs Act in 1906. It has evolved into the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and is now an agency of the Department of Health and Human Services (DHS) (FDA Milestones, 2006). The FDA’s main objective is to protect and promote public health through regulating and testing foods and new products, overseeing the research, development, regulation, and recall of products already on the shelves for consumer use. We will further define the FDA, its responsibilities, and choose a product to show how the regulatory requirements of the FDA impacts consumer choices. We chose an ingredient used to prevent bacterial contamination in many consumer products called Triclosan. Since the last FDA review of this ingredient, Triclosan has had questionable test results warranting a review of its use (Triclosan: What Consumers Should Know, 2012).
I. FDA is an agency within the Department of Health and Human Services comprised of the Office of the Commissioner and four directorates overseeing the core functions of the agency (FDA Organization, 2012):
A. Office of the Commissioner provides leadership and directs scientific actions, is governmental liaison to congress, manages all aspects of the women’s and minority health initiatives, and directs toxicological research. B. Four directorates overseeing the core functions of the agency:
1. Office of Medical Products and Tobacco provides high-level management overseeing the centers for drug, biologics, medical devices, and tobacco products providing advice to the commissioner on all medical and tobacco issues (Office of Medical Products and Tobacco, 2012).
2. Office of Foods manages food and animal feed safety, addresses nutritional questions to
HCS 490
May 26, 2012
Kathy Loy, MBA
Government Regulatory Agencies and Impact on Consumer Choices Outline Congress passed the original Pure Food and Drugs Act in 1906. It has evolved into the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and is now an agency of the Department of Health and Human Services (DHS) (FDA Milestones, 2006). The FDA’s main objective is to protect and promote public health through regulating and testing foods and new products, overseeing the research, development, regulation, and recall of products already on the shelves for consumer use. We will further define the FDA, its responsibilities, and choose a product to show how the regulatory requirements of the FDA impacts consumer choices. We chose an ingredient used to prevent bacterial contamination in many consumer products called Triclosan. Since the last FDA review of this ingredient, Triclosan has had questionable test results warranting a review of its use (Triclosan: What Consumers Should Know, 2012).
I. FDA is an agency within the Department of Health and Human Services comprised of the Office of the Commissioner and four directorates overseeing the core functions of the agency (FDA Organization, 2012):
A. Office of the Commissioner provides leadership and directs scientific actions, is governmental liaison to congress, manages all aspects of the women’s and minority health initiatives, and directs toxicological research. B. Four directorates overseeing the core functions of the agency:
1. Office of Medical Products and Tobacco provides high-level management overseeing the centers for drug, biologics, medical devices, and tobacco products providing advice to the commissioner on all medical and tobacco issues (Office of Medical Products and Tobacco, 2012).
2. Office of Foods manages food and animal feed safety, addresses nutritional questions to
References: Fang, J., Stingley, R.., Beland, F., Harrouk, W., Lumpkin, D., & Howard, P. (2010) Occurrence, efficacy, metabolism, and toxicity of triclosan FDA Milestones. (2006). FDA Consumer, 40(1), 36. FDA Organization. (2012). Retrieved from http://www.fda.gov/AboutFDA/CentersOffices/default.htm Office of Foods. (2012). Retrieved from http://www.fda.gov/AboutFDA/CentersOffices/OfficeofFoods/default.htm Office of Global Regulatory Operations and Policy. (2012) http://www.fda.gov/AboutFDA/CentersOffices/OfficeofGlobalRegulatoryOperationsandPolicy/default.htm Office of Medical Products and Tobacco. (2012). Retrieved from http://www.fda.gov/AboutFDA/CentersOffices/OfficeofMedicalProductsandTobacco/def Triclosan: What Consumers Should Know. (2012). Retrieved from http://www.fda.gov/forconsumers/consumerupdates/ucm205999.htm U.S. EPA. (2010). Triclosan Facts. Retrieved from http://www.epa.gov/oppsrrd1/REDs/factsheets/Triclosan_fs.htm U.S. Food and Drug Administration. (2011). Retrieved from http://www.fda.gov/default.htm