by Kandiss Edwards
April 23, 2025
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is rolling back America’s food safety programs.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has significantly reduced oversight for food safety, suspending integral inspection protocols and firing what some say are essential employees.
These actions raise alarms about the FDA’s ability to regulate and protect America’s food supply. In April 2025, the FDA halted its Proficiency Testing Program under the Food Emergency Response Network (FERN), which regulated and maintained consistency across testing laboratories. This suspension, which affects 170 testing laboratories, is effective until Sept. 30 and is attributed to substantial staff reductions at the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). The changes include the reduction of critical personnel such as microbiologists and chemists, Reuters reported.
The outlet also claims to have reviewed internal documents circulating throughout the agency.
“Unfortunately, significant reductions in force, including a key quality assurance officer, an analytical chemist, and two microbiologists at FDA’s Human Food Program Moffett Center have an immediate and significant impact on the Food Emergency Response Network (FERN) Proficiency Testing (PT) Program,” says the email sent on Tuesday from FERN’s National Program Office.
Compounding the issue, the FDA has not met its mandated inspection targets since 2018. The Food Safety Modernization Act requires the agency to inspect high-risk domestic food facilities at least once every three years and non-high-risk facilities at least once every five years. However, from 2018 to 2023, the FDA conducted an average of 8,353 domestic inspections annually, falling short of these requirements.
These staffing cuts follow a mass layoff initiated by newly appointed Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. The severance of key employees appears to impact administrative and scientific roles crucial to food safety operations. Despite assurances that frontline inspectors would remain unaffected, dismissing support staff has impeded the FDA’s capacity to conduct thorough inspections and communicate safety alerts.
The reduction in inspections and staff has coincided with a rise in foodborne illnesses. In 2024, confirmed cases increased by 25%, according to the U.S. Public Interest Research Group. Critics argue that diminished transparency and oversight may lead to delayed outbreak responses. NBC reported on the FDA’s handling of a deadly E. coli incident linked to contaminated lettuce, where the agency chose not to disclose the affected producer or retail locations.
These developments have prompted concerns among food safety experts about the FDA’s ability to fulfill its mission. The resignation of Jim Jones, head of the FDA’s food division, in protest over the staff cuts underscores the seriousness of the situation.
As the FDA grapples with these challenges, the safety of the U.S. food supply remains a pressing concern, emphasizing the need for robust oversight and sufficient resources to safeguard public health.
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