FDA Deputy Commissioner Jim Jones Addresses Food Safety, Innovation at IFT FIRST

In an energetic IFT FIRST keynote address on Tuesday morning, Jim Jones, deputy commissioner of Human Foods at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), highlighted the agency's commitment to integrating innovation and technology into federal food safety regulation and policy.

One of the key areas Jones discussed was the agency’s recent reorganization and creation of FDA's Human Foods Program (HFP), a new model for its field operations and other major modernization efforts that aims to streamline and enhance food safety and public health measures. The reorganization and HFP was announced a little over a year ago by FDA Commissioner Robert Califf and will be completed on October 1.

A focal point of Jones’ remarks was the development of key performance indicators (KPIs) to measure the success of the FDA's restructuring efforts. He identified three priority areas—microbiological safety, nutrition, and chemical safety—that “actually capture the way in which we’re going to be organized,” Jones explained. “We are going to be developing key performance indicators that will include health metrics in reducing foodborne illness and improving the health of Americans through nutrition activities," Jones stated. He also acknowledged the challenges in the chemical space, noting that KPIs often relate to the number of chemicals assessed rather than direct health outcomes.

“The other attribute of this organization [that] I think is worth noting, is that focus areas will be built on a foundation of risk prioritization and surveillance,” Jones added. “So, we'll have an office that will focus on identifying where the highest risks are and also developing a comprehensive surveillance strategy.”

Jones emphasized the importance of leveraging emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning to enhance the FDA's regulatory framework. “When you think about regulation, you don't necessarily think too much about innovation and the application of technology,” Jones noted. “Yet it is incumbent upon us in government, those of us who are in the regulatory world, to be constantly looking for how innovation can be applied to what we do.”

Jones also highlighted the FDA's efforts in utilizing AI to improve food safety. “We are deploying machine learning and artificial intelligence to help us be smarter about what imports we are focusing our attention on using the data that has been collected over many years,” he said. This innovative approach aims to target inspections more effectively and identify potential violations more quickly.

Looking ahead, Jones remains optimistic about the future of food safety regulation. “We are going to evaluate the risk of existing chemicals and if their risk does not meet the safety standard, we'll take action as we did in the past,” he stated. “We have a good chance of actually ... taking regulatory action based on what our assessment is.”

Jones emphasized the importance of collaboration in achieving food safety goals. “It is not possible to really make progress in this space without collaboration,” he said. “We need to be collaborating with our state partners, the industry, and other stakeholders to find solutions that work for more entities than not.”

Jones expressed optimism about the potential impact of a robust nutrition program on public health. “The health benefits of a strong nutrition program are huge, and we are excited about the opportunities to address diet-related chronic diseases,” he remarked. He called for a collaborative effort within the food science community to advance these initiatives.ft