What is the function of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)?

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) plays a crucial role in protecting public health by ensuring the safety, efficacy, and security of food products, pharmaceuticals, medical devices, vaccines, and other biological products. The primary function includes evaluating and approving new drugs and food additives, along with monitoring their safety through post-market surveillance. This helps to ensure that what is available to consumers—whether it's food or medicine—is safe for public use, thereby minimizing health risks.

The other options relate to areas that may involve regulation or oversight but fall outside the primary mandate of the FDA. Surgical instruments are indeed regulated, but not solely by the FDA, and ensuring their quality and compliance often involves multiple agencies and standards. Setting standards for surgical procedures is typically under the purview of professional medical boards and associations rather than a federal agency like the FDA. Hospital compliance is monitored by a combination of accrediting bodies and state health departments rather than specifically by the FDA's regulatory function.