Food and Drug Administration

[Page 301]The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is an agency within the Department of Health and Human Services of the U.S. government that is responsible for protecting public health through the regulation and supervision of a number of products including food, tobacco, prescription and over-the-counter drugs, bottled water, dietary supplements, cosmetics, and medical devices. The FDA is also charged with improving public health by disseminating scientifically based information and fostering innovations to make food and medicines safe, effective, and affordable. Areas that generally do not fall under the jurisdiction of the FDA include alcoholic beverages, most household goods, illegal drugs such as heroin that do not have therapeutic use, pesticides, meat and poultry, and municipal water supplies. The current commissioner of the FDA is Dr. ...