The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has suspended a major quality control program used in food safety testing due to significant staffing cuts at the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), according to Reuters. These reductions, affecting around 3,500 full-time employees, nearly 19% of the FDA’s workforce, were part of a broader federal downsizing effort initiated by President Donald Trump and carried out by Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
Trump’s administration is seeking to slash up to $40 billion from HHS, impacting a range of public health initiatives.
The FDA’s Proficiency Testing (PT) Program—part of the Food Emergency Response Network (FERN)—is among the casualties. This program oversees quality assurance for roughly 170 laboratories nationwide, ensuring they can reliably detect pathogens and contaminants in the food supply. According to an internal email obtained by Reuters, the loss of critical personnel, including quality assurance officers and microbiologists, has had an immediate and profound effect on the program’s ability to function.
The suspension is set to last until at least September 30, 2025, halting scheduled quality assessments for hazards such as Cyclospora in spinach and glyphosate in barley.
The FDA is also reportedly considering a broader restructuring that could end most of its routine food safety inspections, shifting oversight to state and local authorities. While the agency has denied that a final decision has been made, multiple federal health officials and leaked budget documents indicate that such plans are under serious consideration and would require Congressional approval.
Currently, the FDA already contracts with 43 states and Puerto Rico for some lower-risk inspections, but the proposed changes would expand this model to cover all routine food facility inspections.
The FDA has also paused efforts to enhance testing for highly pathogenic avian influenza (H5N1) in dairy and pet foods, despite the ongoing outbreak affecting livestock and pets in North America. This, too, is attributed to staff shortages and budget constraints.
