Facts About the FDA
The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is the rule-making and enforcement body in the U.S. for food, drugs, medical devices, vaccines and biological products, animal and veterinary medicines, cosmetics and radiation-emitting products.
Other People Are Reading
-
Organization
-
A division within the Department of Health and Human Services, the FDA is an agency consisting of seven separate centers.
Scope of Responsibility
-
The agency's primary responsibility is protecting the public health through assuring the safety and efficacy of human and veterinary drugs, cosmetics, biological products, medical devices, the nation's food supply and products that emit radiation.
-
Budget
-
In 2010, the FDA's fiscal year budget is $3.2 billion, a 19 percent increase over the 2009 budget.
Authority
-
The Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act (FD&C Act) of 1938 empowers the FDA to regulate and enforce requirements on food, drugs and cosmetics in the United States. The act was adopted following a public outcry over an "elixir" that killed 107 Americans.
Bounds
-
The scope of FDA authority does not cover all issues around food, drugs and cosmetics. For example, pesticides used on food are regulated under the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and eggs, poultry, meat products and agricultural products are regulated by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
-
