HQ Team
July 10, 2025: The US drug regulator has urged industry leaders manufacturing and distributing foods for infants and children to be radically transparent in product recall communications.
As food production and distribution systems continue to advance alongside new communication technologies, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is encouraging industry to examine how they communicate with the public and continue to work with the agency whenever a product is recalled, according to a statement.
“Today I am asking food industry leaders to join me in my commitment to radical transparency, with a focus on ensuring the safety and well-being of infants and children,” said FDA Commissioner Marty Makary, M.D., MPH.
“Protecting our most vulnerable is not just a moral duty—it is our responsibility. For many children, infant formula is their only source of nutrition. That’s why we must use every tool at our disposal to enhance recall communication about these products and other foods for children.”
Chemical contaminants
Recent incidents involving chemical contaminants in infant and toddler food products have raised public awareness and underscored our shared responsibility in safeguarding children’s interests, he said.
“Radical transparency in food safety and nutrition actions is crucial to reducing foodborne illness and chronic disease, thereby establishing a strong foundation for lifelong health.”
The food industry and FDA must work together to ensure swift, transparent, and effective recall communication, especially for products vital to infant and child nutrition, he said.
The FDA sought assistance from the corporations to create “a collaborative transformation in how we manage and communicate food recalls, particularly for infant formula, baby foods, and foods intended for children, to provide for greater public awareness of these recalls.”
Operation Stork Speed
The outreach to industry leaders amplifies and supports the FDA’s priorities and recent efforts, including Operation Stork Speed, an FDA Expert Panel on Infant Formula, and increased stakeholder engagement.
The FDA plans to optimise recall information collection by redesigning and digitising key recall documentation to support automated data extraction and AI-assisted analysis, improving overall recall process efficiency.
The agency will also modernise data submission infrastructure through the implementation of an advanced digital platform for industry partners to submit standardised data, enhancing efficiency in recall information processing, dissemination, and recall classification.
“By issuing this letter, we are taking concrete steps to help protect our nation’s children. We look forward to working with industry to increase public awareness of recalls involving infant formula, baby foods, and other foods intended for children,” said FDA Deputy Commissioner for Human Foods Kyle Diamantas.
‘Public needs first’
“We will also be creating a centralised, consumer-oriented webpage on FDA.gov focused on these products, ensuring that parents and caregivers can easily access the information necessary to protect the health and well-being of their kids,” he said.
These enhancements, which require increased public-private partnerships, sufficient resources and time, will provide more information to parents and caregivers about the foods they rely on to nourish their children.
The initiative reflects a commitment to increased collaboration with industry leaders, focused on placing the public’s needs first, according to the statement.
