SILVER SPRING, MD. — The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Human Foods Program went into effect Oct. 1. The program is designed to protect and promote public health through science-based approaches to prevent foodborne illness, reduce diet-related chronic diseases and ensure the safety of chemicals in food, according to the FDA.

Reorganization affects more than 8,000 employees. It includes restructuring and renaming the FDA’s field operations unit to focus on inspections, investigations and imports. Restructuring the Office of Inspections and Investigations, formerly known as the Office of Regulatory Affairs, extends beyond food and impacts how the FDA oversees all FDA-regulated products.

The FDA also will pilot a new online consumer complaint form with the goals of improving the customer experience when submitting complaints and handling complaints internally more efficiently and effectively.

The FDA in February 2023 announced plans to restructure its food program by combining the Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, Office of Food Policy and Response and certain aspects of the Office of Regulatory Affairs into the Human Foods Program. James Jones was named deputy commissioner for the Human Foods Program in August 2023.