New FDA Website

New FDA Website. I’m Greg Martin with today’s Fruit Grower Report.

The Food and Drug Administration has designed a new web portal as part of its Transparency Initiative in an effort to provide easier access to the agency's enforcement activity. Lacy Gray has the story.

GRAY: The portal, provides lists of inspections, court actions and other FDA enforcement and compliance activities. The material is searchable online or in a downloadable format. Also included in the site are summaries of the most common inspection observations of objectionable conditions and practices made during inspections. The agency plans to disclose additional information by the end of the year regarding FDA activities, including industry efforts during food recalls. According to the agency press release, the new Web portal provides: Details about companies' practices that may jeopardize public health; information about companies with satisfactory FDA inspections; and specific inspection results.

Thanks Lacy. FDA Commissioner Margaret A. Hamburg M.D. launched FDA’s Transparency Initiative in June 2009 in response to the Obama administration’s commitment to openness in government. You can check out the new web portal at www.fda.gov/AboutFDA/Transparency/default.htm

That’s today’s Fruit Grower Report. I’m Greg Martin on the Ag Information Network.