The FDA’s recent reorganization illustrates the value of transparency—radical or otherwise—to industry and consumers alike. In the wake of an infant formula crisis that justifiably incensed the public and lawmakers, the agency relied on extensive hearings, culminating in an expert report commissioned by the Reagan-Udall Foundation.

In October 2024, after two years of planning and Congressional review and approval, a major restructuring took effect at FDA, establishing a new Human Foods Program and Office of Inspections and Investigations. The reorganization was informed by an extensive, independent review conducted by the Reagan-Udall Foundation, through which an expert panel scrutinized and provided recommendations about FDA’s organizational culture, structure, resources, and authorities.

The failures of the CTP are well-documented. In 2022, an independent review by the Reagan-Udall Foundation found that the agency was in disarray, manipulated by outside interests rather than driven by scientific evidence.