The agency enfaces major disruptions from recent job cuts, affecting food safety inspections, communications, and staffing.
The recent wave of job cuts at the Food and Drug Administration has left many inside the agency worried and frustrated. While public statements from leadership suggest the people directly responsible for inspecting food and drug safety were not let go, many of the employees who supported those inspectors have been removed. That includes workers who handled travel bookings for international inspections, lab scientists who tested food samples, and staff who warned the public about safety issues. These roles, though not in the spotlight, were key to keeping the agency’s safety work moving. Without them, the inspectors still on the job have lost important support, and many within the FDA say it’s already slowing things down.
One area of concern is international inspections. These often involve planning complex travel to faraway places, like pharmaceutical plants in India or food processing centers in South America. The staff who handled those arrangements are now gone. This has pushed the agency to look for outside companies to take over that work, which raises more questions. If these jobs were unnecessary, why is the agency now rushing to hire contractors to do the same tasks? The union representing FDA workers says this move is not only short-sighted but dangerous, as it could lead to serious gaps in food and drug oversight. They also question whether contractors will actually save any money or time.
Meanwhile, the job cuts are hitting areas that seem connected to Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s goals. For example, Kennedy has been vocal about reducing harmful chemicals in food, yet several scientists working in FDA labs focused on food safety were let go. This includes those studying how chemicals and microplastics get into packaged food and how to reduce them. Others impacted were communication specialists who shared important news with the public, like product recalls or drug warnings. Those tasks have now been spread out among staff who already have full workloads, slowing down responses to potential public health threats. And every press release or warning must now go through the main HHS press office, which has limited knowledge of FDA-specific issues.
Staff at the FDA have said morale is low and fear more people will leave, especially those who have been with the agency for years. Inspections were already down compared to pre-pandemic levels, and with fewer people supporting the work, there’s concern it will get worse. Some experts believe that the ripple effects of these cuts won’t be fully understood for months, or even years. They point out that the job of protecting the country’s food and drug supply isn’t just about the people in lab coats and hazmat suits—it’s also about the many behind-the-scenes workers who keep things running smoothly.
The job cuts and loss of experienced staff means the FDA could be in a tough spot moving forward. As teams get smaller and workloads grow, the agency may find itself struggling to respond quickly to new threats. It’s a troubling moment for one of the country’s key health watchdogs. Decisions made now could have long-term consequences not only for how the FDA operates, but also for the safety of the products millions of people rely on every day.
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FDA staffers leave for private sector jobs as the agency struggles with inspections
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