US seafood trade body National Fisheries Institute (NFI) has welcomed the appointment of Dr Robert Califf as the new Commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and has urged him to promptly address the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.
In a statement, NFI President, John Connelly writes, “Many parts of the seafood value chain have been impacted by the pandemic and associated lockdowns over the course of two years. During that time the FDA has been rightly focused on various scientific aspects of protecting public health and we salute the agency for its work.
“We ask Dr Califf to quickly focus FDA’s food safety resources on challenges that are important to the seafood community. Prompt action on things like proper labelling, standards of identity and economic integrity are of critical significance. A lack of attention to these priorities undermines the importance of FDA’s vital food focus.”
