CA, US & World
FDA Chief Marks 100 Days with Plans to Overhaul Food Policy and Drug Reviews
Just over 100 days into his new role, FDA Commissioner Marty Makary is laying out bold changes for the agency tasked with regulating food, drugs, and medical devices across the country. In a wide-ranging interview with CNN, Makary said the FDA is “cleaning house” on dietary guidelines and accelerating drug approvals, all while recovering from deep staffing cuts.
Makary, a former Johns Hopkins surgeon, took the helm of the FDA on April 1—the same day sweeping layoffs hit the agency under the White House’s DOGE reform group. He says many of those employees have since been reinstated, and the agency remains committed to meeting its evaluation targets by the end of the year.
As part of a broader health policy push led by Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the FDA is now soliciting expert input on how to define ultra processed foods and may revise the federal dietary guidelines accordingly. “We’re going to go bold on this,” Makary said. “People have been confused and misled for too long.”
He also signaled support for recent moves by major food companies to align with the administration’s health goals. Coca-Cola’s decision to use cane sugar instead of high-fructose corn syrup was one example Makary applauded as a “good switch.”
The FDA is also reviewing over 11,000 food chemicals banned in Europe but still used in the U.S., and is experimenting with new technologies, including Elsa—an AI chatbot intended to assist with clinical review. Though Elsa has reportedly made errors, Makary called the tool “a work in progress.”
Makary’s vision extends to challenging long-held beliefs about nutrition, including what he describes as the “70-year war on natural saturated fat.” While controversial, these comments echo his broader push to overhaul how Americans think about food and health.
Appointed during a time of political and structural flux, Makary has found bipartisan support despite previous criticism of vaccine mandates and pandemic policies. “This is an entirely different domain for me,” he said of his transition from surgeon to FDA commissioner.
Credit: CNN Newsource
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By: CNN Newsource
July 24, 2025
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