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# Hahn Rejects Animal Biotech MOU
- URL: https://www.fdaweb.com/hahn-rejects-animal-biotech-mou/
- Published: 2021-01-20T12:00:00.000Z
- Updated: 2026-09-14T16:43:38.000Z
- Author: David McFarland
- Tags: FDA Policy/General, #legacy-id-D5148484

Outgoing FDA commissioner **Stephen Hahn** said 1/19 that the agency does not support a memorandum of understanding (MOU) signed that day by Department of Agriculture (USDA) secretary **Sonny Perdue** and HHS assistant secretary **Brett Giroir** establishing a regulatory environment for agricultural animal biotechnology innovation. In a series of Tweets, Hahn pledged that FDA “remains undeterred in our steadfast commitment to ensure that animal agricultural biotechnology products undergo independent and science and risk-based evaluation by our career experts.”

The MOU outlines responsibilities concerning the regulation of certain animals developed using genetic engineering that are intended for agricultural purposes such as human food, fiber, and labor. It is the latest in several last-minute [policy restrictions](https://www.fdaweb.com/hhs-steps-on-fdas-feet-to-advance-2-policies/) HHS placed on FDA.

An Agriculture Department [statement](https://www.usda.gov/media/press-releases/2021/01/19/secretary-perdue-statement-mou-animal-biotechnology?ref=fdaweb.com) says that under the MOU framework, USDA “would safeguard animal and human health by providing end-to-end oversight from premarket reviews through post-market food safety monitoring for certain farm animals modified or developed using genetic engineering that are intended for human food. The MOU also allows for the transition of portions of FDA’s pre-existing animal biotechnology regulatory oversight to USDA. USDA would continue to coordinate closely with FDA to fulfill oversight responsibilities and provide the appropriate regulatory environment, ensuring the safety of products derived from new technologies and fostering innovation at the same time. As always, FDA would continue its review of intentional genomic alterations intended for any purpose other than agricultural use, such as biopharma and non-heritable genomic alteration, and the regulation of dairy products, table and shell eggs, certain meat products, and animal food (feed) derived from animals developed using genetic engineering.”