Food and Drug Administration

Food and Drug Administration

Agency overview
Formed	June 30, 1906; 110 years ago (1906-06-30)
Preceding agencies	Food, Drug, and Insecticide Administration (July 1927 to July 1930) Bureau of Chemistry, USDA (July 1901 through July 1927) Division of Chemistry, USDA (established 1862)
Jurisdiction	Federal government of the United States
Headquarters	White Oak Campus, 10903 New Hampshire Avenue, Silver Spring, Maryland 20993 39°02′07″N 76°58′59″W / 39.03528°N 76.98306°W / 39.03528; -76.98306
Employees	14,824 (2010)
Annual budget	$4.36 billion (2012)
Agency executive	Robert Califf, Commissioner of Food and Drugs
Parent agency	Department of Health and Human Services
Child agencies	Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research Center for Devices and Radiological Health Center for Drug Evaluation and Research Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition Center for Tobacco Products Center for Veterinary Medicine National Center for Toxicological Research Office of Criminal Investigations Office of Regulatory Affairs
Website	www.fda.gov

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA or USFDA) is a federal agency of the United States Department of Health and Human Services, one of the United States federal executive departments. The FDA is responsible for protecting and promoting public health through the control and supervision of food safety, tobacco products, dietary supplements, prescription and over-the-counter pharmaceutical drugs (medications), vaccines, biopharmaceuticals, blood transfusions, medical devices, electromagnetic radiation emitting devices (ERED), cosmetics, animal foods & feed and veterinary products.

The FDA was empowered by the United States Congress to enforce the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, which serves as the primary focus for the Agency; the FDA also enforces other laws, notably Section 361 of the Public Health Service Act and associated regulations, many of which are not directly related to food or drugs. These include regulating lasers, cellular phones, condoms and control of disease on products ranging from certain household pets to sperm donation for assisted reproduction.

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