Panel calls for stronger leadership of FDA food programs

By JONEL ALECCIA
AP Health Writer

A panel is calling for changes at the federal agency that oversees most of the nation’s food supply, saying revamped leadership, a clear mission and more urgency are needed to prevent illness outbreaks and to promote good health. But the report released Tuesday stopped short of recommending specific steps to take, instead offering several scenarios. The Reagan-Udall Foundation, a group separate from but closely tied to the federal Food and Drug Administration, said in a report that the agency leadership and culture must be restructured to better respond to food safety crises and chronic public health problems.