The head of the Food and Drug Administration said Tuesday he is asking outside experts to conduct a comprehensive evaluation of the agency’s food and tobacco programs, which in recent months have endured sharp criticism involving two high-profile issues: the infant-formula shortage and e-cigarettes, particularly the vaping company Juul.

FDA Commissioner Robert M. Califf, while not mentioning those controversies, said in a statement that “the agency has confronted a series of challenges that have tested our regulatory frameworks and stressed the agency’s operations, prompting me to take a closer look at how we do business.” Read more