Deleted Tweets From Scott Gottlieb, R-D.C.

#FDAVoices outlines 5 strategic goals to make the Sentinel System more robust by expanding it, advancing its capabilities, accelerating access to real world evidence, engaging more stakeholders and sharing information. https://t.co/deST7thpYu

We assess risk based on an overall, cross-cutting risk profile. The primary factors contributing to a facility’s risk profile include: the type of food, the manufacturing process, and the compliance history of the facility.

Note: We’re still doing ALL of our regular foreign food inspections. But, on the domestic side, in rough numbers we’d typically do about 160 domestic food inspections each week, and about 1/3 of those would be considered high risk.

Commodities deemed high risk include, but aren’t limited to: modified atmosphere packaged products; acidified and low acid canned foods; seafood; custard filled bakery products; dairy products including soft, semi-soft, soft ripened cheese and cheese products....

.... (continued) unpasteurized juices; sprouts ready-to-eat; fresh fruits and vegetables and processed fruits and vegetables; spices; shell eggs; sandwiches; prepared salads; infant formula; and medical foods.

There’s discussion today that we've “stopped” high risk food surveillance inspections. Fact: We’re working to continue those inspections. It's true in 2013 shutdown, those inspections were stopped. We’ve taken a different posture based on sound public health and legal rationale.

@hbottemiller @LimOpinion @SarahKarlin We wouldn't have conducted inspections during the 2 weeks around Christmas and New Years, so this is really the first week where there might have been *some* inspections postponed while we put in place mechanisms to continue high risk food surveillance inspections during shutdown

@hbottemiller @LimOpinion @SarahKarlin That said, we're only going to be doing routine surveillance inspections of high risk food facilities, which is about 1/3 of the about 8,400 inspections we do each year. What is stopped is the routine inspections of non-high-risk facilities (think a cookie or cracker bakery).

@hbottemiller One important addendum to my tweet, we didn’t "cancel" any inspections, we just didn’t schedule any. As you know all domestic inspections are unannounced. So, as we worked through excepted activities, none were scheduled as we didn't know where they'd fall on the “ok to do” list.

@hbottemiller @LimOpinion @SarahKarlin We should have the mechanisms in place next week. I'm getting the total number of inspections, out of the 8,400 we do each year, that were postponed this week. It may be a few dozen but not much more. So reporting we "stopped" really means reporting we didn't do 20+/8,400 on time

#FDA’s professional staff remain fully dedicated to our mission. We’re taking whatever steps we can to support our colleagues as they fulfill our commitments to the American people under challenging circumstances https://t.co/x7q8FXvHDf

@BySheilaKaplan @sangerkatz We didn’t cancel inspections but it’s true we didn’t schedule any for this week. All domestic inspections are unannounced. So as we worked through excepted activities, none were scheduled this week as we didn't know where they'd fall on the “ok to do” list. We’ll resume next week

@BySheilaKaplan @sangerkatz Ordinarily we might have done a few dozen this week, fewer than typical given it was the first week in January, out of the total of 8,400 food inspections we do each year. So it’s true some inspections were postponed that would have been scheduled. They should resume next week.

@BySheilaKaplan @sangerkatz But we’re not putting a stop to high risk surveillance food inspections. We should resume scheduling them next week, maybe earlier. We judged these, for good reason, to fall within excepted activity. The low risk surveillance inspections, however, will be stopped.

Today @CDCgov announced that the Fall 2018 outbreak of E. coli associated with romaine appears to have ended with no new illnesses reported since Dec. 4th. Even during the funding lapse, #FDA’s work identifying factors that led to this outbreak continues.

THREAD: FDA’s ongoing work upholding food safety continues, even during this partial funding lapse. Our ability to monitor/respond to emerging food safety issues is maintained through efforts of a dedicated workforce that’s fully committed to this mission https://t.co/AM1OGL9q9N

RT @maggiemfox: The @FDAfood has stopped domestic food safety inspections because of the shutdown but @SGottliebFDA is trying to start at least some of them back up https://t.co/JPpL4Ab5Fw

#FDA took a major new step to advance a more modern and efficient framework for the development and oversight of safe and effective digital health tools for patients. https://t.co/2oxsBpMTcw

As vaccine rates fall due to now firmly debunked #antivax skepticism of safety, New York grapples with one of the worst measles outbreaks in decades. We’re witness to the tragic and needless return of a deadly scourge. #VaccinesWork https://t.co/vK5D2vW7DY

Our teams have collected environmental samples and are working with growers to pinpoint when and how the romaine lettuce became contaminated. We believe that the findings of this ongoing investigation will help to prevent future outbreaks in leafy greens.

#FDAVoices outlines 5 strategic goals to make the Sentinel System more robust by expanding it, advancing its capabilities, accelerating access to real world evidence, engaging more stakeholders and sharing information. https://t.co/deST7thpYu

We assess risk based on an overall, cross-cutting risk profile. The primary factors contributing to a facility’s risk profile include: the type of food, the manufacturing process, and the compliance history of the facility.

Note: We’re still doing ALL of our regular foreign food inspections. But, on the domestic side, in rough numbers we’d typically do about 160 domestic food inspections each week, and about 1/3 of those would be considered high risk.

Commodities deemed high risk include, but aren’t limited to: modified atmosphere packaged products; acidified and low acid canned foods; seafood; custard filled bakery products; dairy products including soft, semi-soft, soft ripened cheese and cheese products....

.... (continued) unpasteurized juices; sprouts ready-to-eat; fresh fruits and vegetables and processed fruits and vegetables; spices; shell eggs; sandwiches; prepared salads; infant formula; and medical foods.

There’s discussion today that we've “stopped” high risk food surveillance inspections. Fact: We’re working to continue those inspections. It's true in 2013 shutdown, those inspections were stopped. We’ve taken a different posture based on sound public health and legal rationale.

@hbottemiller @LimOpinion @SarahKarlin We wouldn't have conducted inspections during the 2 weeks around Christmas and New Years, so this is really the first week where there might have been *some* inspections postponed while we put in place mechanisms to continue high risk food surveillance inspections during shutdown

@hbottemiller @LimOpinion @SarahKarlin That said, we're only going to be doing routine surveillance inspections of high risk food facilities, which is about 1/3 of the about 8,400 inspections we do each year. What is stopped is the routine inspections of non-high-risk facilities (think a cookie or cracker bakery).

@hbottemiller One important addendum to my tweet, we didn’t "cancel" any inspections, we just didn’t schedule any. As you know all domestic inspections are unannounced. So, as we worked through excepted activities, none were scheduled as we didn't know where they'd fall on the “ok to do” list.

@hbottemiller @LimOpinion @SarahKarlin We should have the mechanisms in place next week. I'm getting the total number of inspections, out of the 8,400 we do each year, that were postponed this week. It may be a few dozen but not much more. So reporting we "stopped" really means reporting we didn't do 20+/8,400 on time

#FDA’s professional staff remain fully dedicated to our mission. We’re taking whatever steps we can to support our colleagues as they fulfill our commitments to the American people under challenging circumstances https://t.co/x7q8FXvHDf

@BySheilaKaplan @sangerkatz We didn’t cancel inspections but it’s true we didn’t schedule any for this week. All domestic inspections are unannounced. So as we worked through excepted activities, none were scheduled this week as we didn't know where they'd fall on the “ok to do” list. We’ll resume next week

@BySheilaKaplan @sangerkatz Ordinarily we might have done a few dozen this week, fewer than typical given it was the first week in January, out of the total of 8,400 food inspections we do each year. So it’s true some inspections were postponed that would have been scheduled. They should resume next week.

@BySheilaKaplan @sangerkatz But we’re not putting a stop to high risk surveillance food inspections. We should resume scheduling them next week, maybe earlier. We judged these, for good reason, to fall within excepted activity. The low risk surveillance inspections, however, will be stopped.

Today @CDCgov announced that the Fall 2018 outbreak of E. coli associated with romaine appears to have ended with no new illnesses reported since Dec. 4th. Even during the funding lapse, #FDA’s work identifying factors that led to this outbreak continues.

THREAD: FDA’s ongoing work upholding food safety continues, even during this partial funding lapse. Our ability to monitor/respond to emerging food safety issues is maintained through efforts of a dedicated workforce that’s fully committed to this mission https://t.co/AM1OGL9q9N

RT @maggiemfox: The @FDAfood has stopped domestic food safety inspections because of the shutdown but @SGottliebFDA is trying to start at least some of them back up https://t.co/JPpL4Ab5Fw

#FDA took a major new step to advance a more modern and efficient framework for the development and oversight of safe and effective digital health tools for patients. https://t.co/2oxsBpMTcw

As vaccine rates fall due to now firmly debunked #antivax skepticism of safety, New York grapples with one of the worst measles outbreaks in decades. We’re witness to the tragic and needless return of a deadly scourge. #VaccinesWork https://t.co/vK5D2vW7DY

Our teams have collected environmental samples and are working with growers to pinpoint when and how the romaine lettuce became contaminated. We believe that the findings of this ongoing investigation will help to prevent future outbreaks in leafy greens.