Eye on FDA

On July 25, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), in collaboration with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), unveiled the highly anticipated joint request for information on ultra-processed foods (UPFs). Specifically, the administration is seeking information and data to help develop a uniform definition for UPFs in the U.S. food supply.

This week, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granted another color additive petition, approving the use of Gardenia (Genipin) in various food and beverage products. This marks the fourth naturally-derived color additive authorized for use in foods since FDA’s April announcement to phase out all petroleum-based synthetic dyes in food and transition to natural alternatives (read more here). Gardenia blue, derived from the fruit of the gardenia, a flowering evergreen, is now approved for use in sport drinks, flavored or enhanced non-carbonated water, fruit drinks and ades, ready-to-drink teas, hard candy and soft candy.

This morning, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced the publication of more than 200 decision letters, also known as complete response letters (CRLs), with plans to release more from the archives. The CRLs released today are associated with applications for drugs and biologics submitted for approval between 2020 and 2024 that have since been approved by the agency.

On June 24, 2025, in a hearing before the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Energy and Commerce, the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS), Robert F. Kennedy Jr. revealed that his department plans to soon launch an advertising campaign encouraging Americans to use wearable health devices. The campaign is set to be “one of the biggest advertising campaigns in HHS history.”

Last week, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) released two educational videos and a supplemental fact sheet to guide dietary supplement manufacturers and distributors through the New Dietary Ingredient Notification (NDIN) review process. Under Section 413 of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, manufacturers and distributors must submit an NDIN to notify FDA before marketing a dietary supplement with a new dietary ingredient. These resources offer guidance on structuring submissions and outline what to expect during the agency’s review. Ultimately, they are intended to enhance the quality of NDIN submissions and minimize common pitfalls, with the goal of avoiding delays or unfavorable results in the agency’s review.

Over the weekend, the Department of Justice (DOJ) did not file an appeal of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas’ decision to vacate and set aside the agency’s final rule on the regulation of laboratory developed tests (LDTs), titled Medical Devices; Laboratory Developed Tests (the LDT Rule). The LDT Rule would have required laboratories to ensure that their offered LDTs met medical device requirements under a multistage phase out of Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) enforcement discretion policy. While the government’s decision not to appeal this ruling may not have been a surprise, questions remain as to how FDA plans to clarify its policy towards lab test offerings going forward.

On May 30, 2025, the Department of Health and Human Services released additional information regarding the Trump administration’s Fiscal Year (FY) 2026 budget request. The release of these FY26 budget materials is timely as Secretary Kennedy and the Food and Drug Commissioner Dr. Makary have started to testify before Congress on the FY26 budget and the House and Senate Appropriations Committees are moving forward with their annual appropriations work. Further still, the House Appropriations Committee’s Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies is scheduled to markup their FY26 Ag-FDA Approps bill later this week.

Yesterday, the White House’s Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) Commission, led by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. released its inaugural health report titled, Make Our Children Healthy Again, delivering one of the first widely anticipated deliverables from the MAHA Commission Executive Order issued earlier this year and noted in our prior alert. The 72-page assessment examines the rising rates of childhood chronic disease in the country—including obesity, heart disease and diabetes—and explores potential contributing factors. Specifically, the report identifies and focuses on four potential drivers:

On May 9, 2025, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granted three color additive petitions, approving two new colorings and expanding one existing approval. These approvals come after the agency’s announcement last month to phase out all petroleum-based synthetic dyes in food by the end of 2026 and transition to natural alternatives (see our post here). Under section 721 of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FD&C Act), color additives (unless exempt from batch certification) are subject to FDA approval to determine their safety for use in food. The agency evaluates the safety of color additives based on multiple factors including projected human dietary exposure to the additive, toxicological data, and other relevant information. Once FDA approves a color additive petition, any manufacturer can use the additive in foods for the approved intended uses.