The FDA is facing challenges in maintaining its food-testing laboratory quality-control program due to staff cuts at the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). This suspension affects the proficiency testing program of the FDA’s Food Emergency Response Network, which ensures consistency and accuracy in testing food for pathogens and contaminants to prevent food-borne illnesses across about 170 labs.

The firing of up to 20,000 HHS employees has disrupted public health research and agency work on critical areas such as bird flu and drug reviews. President Donald Trump aims to cut up to $40 billion from HHS, impacting essential programs like the FDA’s quality assurance efforts.

The email from FERN’s National Program Office highlighted the immediate impact of these staff reductions on the quality-control program, leading to the suspension of critical lab testing for various contaminants like cyclospora in spinach and glyphosate in barley. Without these tests, the agency’s ability to detect and respond to food safety and defense events is compromised.

Former FDA officials and federal health officials have expressed concerns about the implications of these staff cuts on food safety inspection work. The FDA has halted efforts to improve testing for bird flu and faces challenges in maintaining routine food safety inspections. The cuts have also led to key personnel resignations, such as Jim Jones, head of the FDA’s food division, who cited the administration’s disregard for food safety as a reason for his departure.

These developments underscore the importance of adequate staffing and resources for ensuring food safety and public health. The impact of these cuts on the FDA’s ability to fulfill its regulatory duties raises concerns about the potential risks to food safety and public health in the future.