Food and drug companies that commit safety violations will face faster and more aggressive action, the new commissioner of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration said Thursday.
"The agency must show industry and consumers that we are on the job," Margaret Hamburg told an audience of food and drug industry lawyers, the Associated Press reported. "Companies must have a realistic expectation that if they are crossing the line, they will be caught."
Hamburg said the FDA's efforts in recent years "have been hampered by unreasonable delays" that left many safety violations unpunished.
Since Hamburg was confirmed as commissioner in May, the agency has launched a number of enforcement actions against companies selling fake or dangerous products, the AP reported. This type of enforcement will become routine in the future, Hamburg said.