David Aaron Kessler
| David Aaron Kessler | |
|---|---|
Kessler in April 2009
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| Born |
May 13, 1951 New York, New York |
| Occupation | Pediatrician, lawyer, author, administrator |
| Nationality | American |
| Education | Amherst College |
| Alma mater | Harvard University |
| Subject | Nutrition |
| Notable works | Your Food Is Fooling You: How Your Brain Is Hijacked by Sugar, Fat, and Salt, The End of Overeating: Taking Control of the Insatiable American Appetite, A Question of Intent: A Great American Battle with a Deadly Industry |
David Aaron Kessler (born May 13, 1951) is an American pediatrician, lawyer, author, and administrator (both academic and governmental). He was the Commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) from November 8, 1990 to February 28, 1997.
After graduating from Amherst College in 1973, Kessler studied medicine at Harvard University, graduating with an M.D. degree in 1979. While at Harvard Dr. Kessler obtained a law degree J.D. in 1977 from the University of Chicago. While serving his residency in pediatrics at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, he worked as a consultant to Republican Senator Orrin Hatch from Utah, particularly on issues relating to the safety of food additives, and on the regulation of cigarettes and tobacco. From 1984-1990, Kessler simultaneously ran a 431-bed teaching hospital in New York City and taught at the Columbia Law School and the Albert Einstein College of Medicine.
Although his appointment as FDA commissioner in 1990 by President George H. W. Bush won bipartisan approval, many of Kessler's actions were controversial, and he soon became more popular with Democrats than Republicans. He moved quickly to make the agency more efficient, cutting the time needed to approve or reject new drugs, including AIDS drugs, and more vigilant in protecting consumers against unsafe products and inflated label claims. It was also under his watch that FDA enacted regulations requiring standardized Nutrition Facts labels on food. In one memorable action, he had 24,000 gallons of Citrus Hill orange juice seized because although made from concentrate, it was labeled "fresh". Kessler was reappointed to the post of FDA Commissioner during the administration of Bill Clinton.
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