The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) last week announced a new plan to define its oversight on plant and animal biotechnology used in medicines and foods. FDA said its Plant and Animal Biotechnology Innovation Action Plan will implement and clarify risk-based policies that avoid unnecessary barriers for biotechnology developers that are bringing products to market, and that help consumers and the public understand the safety of biotechnology in foods and medicine.
Over the next year, FDA plans to issue two guidance documents on how it will oversee plant and animal biotechnology used in different food products. This guidance will be important to IDFA members that use products or ingredients made through biotechnology.
FDA also plans to collaborate with a wide range of stakeholders to understand their views on how the agency can best support safe innovation in plant and animal biotechnology while addressing and appropriately considering any potential risks.
IDFA will remain engaged with FDA during the rollout of the plan and work closely with its regulatory committees to discuss next steps and comments on future guidance.
For more information, contact John Allan, IDFA vice president of regulatory affairs and international standards, at jallan@idfa.org.