Frank Yiannas, Deputy Commissioner of Food Policy and Response at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), has announced that he will be resigning from his position, effective February 24, 2023. Yiannas joined FDA in 2018 with the goal of helping to modernize the food safety oversight system in the U.S.
According to Yiannas’ letter of resignation, in February 2022, he shared with FDA Commissioner Robert Califf, M.D. that he was considering leaving the agency due to the decentralized structure of the Human Foods program, which “significantly impaired FDA’s ability to operate as an integrated food team and protect the public.” However, after learning about the infant formula supply and safety crisis that began in February 2022 as a result of contaminated product manufactured by Abbott Nutrition, Yiannas decided to postpone his resignation.