The FDA is responsible for protecting the public health by assuring the safety, efficacy, and security of human and veterinary drugs, biological products, medical devices, our nation’s food supply, cosmetics, and products that emit radiation. FDA's responsibilities extend to the 50 United States, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Guam, the Virgin Islands, American Samoa, and other U.S. territories and possessions. FDA is responsible for:

• Protecting the public health by assuring that foods (except for meat from livestock, poultry and some egg products which are regulated by the U.S. Department of Agriculture) are safe, wholesome, sanitary and properly labeled; ensuring that human and veterinary drugs, and vaccines and other biological products and medical devices intended for human use are safe and effective
• Protecting the public from electronic product radiation
• Assuring cosmetics and dietary supplements are safe and properly labeled
• Regulating tobacco products
• Advancing the public health by helping to speed product innovations

FDA Globalization

Globalization is a fact of 21st century economic life. It has resulted in United States markets being composed of a myriad of imported goods that our consumers want and need. Based on the volume of imported products from specific areas, problems that have been associated with products over the years, and value to be derived from leveraging the activities and resources of trusted foreign counterpart regulatory authorities, U.S. FDA have established a permanent in-country presence in China, India, Europe, Latin America, and Sub-Saharan Africa.

The Office of International Programs (OIP) is the focal point for all international matters concerning the agency. Globalization fundamentally changed the environment for regulating food and medical products and has created unique regulatory challenges for FDA. OIP manages FDA’s global presence with staff located at foreign posts. The overall goal of this effort is to engage more effectively abroad to be more effective at home. OIP operations provide information that enables FDA officials in product centers, at US borders, in OC, and in OIP to make better decisions about the safety, efficacy, and quality of FDA-regulated products that are destined for the USA. OIP manages nine international offices which interact with counterpart regulatory authorities and multilateral organizations.