United Fresh was one of only five trade associations - and the only organization representing the fresh produce industry – invited this week to the Transparency Listening Session with Regulated Industry with FDA Principal Deputy Commissioner and Chair of the Transparency Task Force, Dr. Joshua Sharfstein

The meeting served to address the agency's transparency to the regulated industry, and the Task Force plans to use the comments submitted during the meeting as it drafts recommendations about improving transparency at FDA.

"Access to information and FDA's thinking is relatively good day-to-day, as long as there is an established relationship", said Dr. David Gombas, senior vice president food safety and technology.  "However, all transparency disappears during rulemaking and during investigations.  These are times when communication between FDA and the industry becomes most important. Obstacles need to be overcome to enable FDA officials and industry experts to share information during an outbreak investigation."

The FDA Transparency Initiative was launched last year in response to the Obama Administration's Open Government Initiative, with the goal of making FDA and its processes more transparent to the public.