Editor’s note: FDA’s Scott Gottlieb and Stephen Ostroff posted this joint blog under the title “FDA Update on Traceback Related to the E. coli O157:H7 Outbreak Linked to Romaine Lettuce” from their vantage points as FDA commissioner and FDA deputy commissioner for foods and veterinary medicine, respectively. For a different view on this topic, please see “Counterpoint: FDA traceback procedures show chokepoints.” The FDA continues to investigate the outbreak of E. coli O157:H7 infections…

Stic Harris Courtesy of FDA Stic Harris, DVM, MPH, has been the director of FDA’s Coordinated Outbreak Response and Evaluation Network (CORE) since August 2017. He is responsible for the agency’s surveillance, response, and post-response activities associated with outbreaks of illnesses caused by food, dietary supplements, and cosmetics. In many ways, Harris defies the stereotype of a government official, with professional incarnations that include college athlete, professional hockey player, epidemiologist, veterinarian, congressional fellow, and biodefense…

As part of the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA), the Food and Drug Administration issued on May 27, 2016, a final rule to require domestic and foreign food facilities, with some exceptions, to address hazards that may be introduced with the intention to cause wide-scale harm to public health. These food facilities are required to identify significant vulnerabilities and take steps to minimize or prevent them. The first compliance date is July 26, 2019. Ryan Newkirk,…