Food and Drug Administration
The Food and Drug Administration of the United States of America, sometimes known simply as the FDA or USFDA, is a government agency that operates under the purview of the United States Department of Health and Human Services. It is the responsibility of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to protect and promote public health through the control and supervision of food safety, tobacco products, dietary supplements. In addition, the FDA is responsible for ensuring the quality and safety of animal foods and feed.
The Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FD&C) is the law that the FDA is primarily responsible for enforcing; however, the FDA is also responsible for enforcing other laws, most notably Section 361 of the Public Health Service Act, as well as accompanying regulations. A significant portion of this regulatory-enforcement work is not directly related to food or drugs, but rather involves the regulation of things like lasers, cellular phones, and condoms, in addition to the control of disease in contexts ranging from domestic pets to human sperm that has been donated for the purpose of assisted reproduction.
The President of the United States appoints the Commissioner of Food and Drugs for the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), with the advice and agreement of the Senate. The Commissioner is accountable to the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services. Since the 17th of February 2022, Robert Califf has served as the commissioner in charge.
The Food and Drug Administration's headquarters are located in White Oak, Maryland, which is unincorporated. In addition, the agency has 223 field offices and 13 labs spread out across all 50 states, as well as the United States Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico. In 2008, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) started sending staff to work in other nations across the world, including China, India, Costa Rica, Chile, Belgium, and the United Kingdom.
Both Montgomery County and Prince George's County in Maryland are home to facilities that are part of the FDA's headquarters.