FDA's Mission

The Food and Drug Administration is an agency working to protect, promote, and enhance the health of the American people by ensuring that foods are safe, wholesome, and sanitary; human and veterinary drugs, biological products (vaccines, plasma, etc.) and medical devices are safe and effective; cosmetics are safe; and electronic products that emit radiation are safe. All products must also meet regulations requiring that they are honestly, accurately and informatively represented. FDA works with the manufacturers and importers to identify and correct products that are unsafe and do not meet legal requirements.

FDA's Public Affairs Specialists

Public Affairs Specialists (PASs) in the U.S. Food and Drug Administration inform and educate the general public, media, community groups, academia, and health professionals about the products that FDA regulates. Public Affairs Specialists act as teachers, giving workshops and seminars to organizations about FDA's work, assist reporters in news story development, or appear as representatives on broadcast media. The PAS office helps consumers who call the FDA district offices seeking information.

The Los Angeles District Office has been actively serving the various communities, facilitating community programs which promote public health. The FDA Office of Women's Health, Office of Communications, and the Los Angeles District Office in Irvine has provided resources for translating various publications to serve the Asian and Pacific Islander community.

Along with the mammography and pap smear materials that are offered on this site, there are the following:

• Nutrition Labeling and Education materials are available in English, Chinese, Laotian, Korean, Thai, Vietnamese, and Cambodian.
  
• Reducing the risk of lead poisoning from ceramicware is available in English, Japanese, Chinese, and Korean.
  
• Medication Safety brochures are available in English, Vietnamese and Cambodian. Chinese is being developed.
  
• Food safety posters are available in English, Korean, Chinese, and Vietnamese.