Since the inauguration of President Trump, there has been an avalanche of changes at federal regulatory agencies responsible for U.S. food safety and foodborne illness response (FDA, USDA, and CDC), including mass layoffs, the resignation and new appointments of top officials, a communications freeze, and more.
A partisan letter signed by 85 members of Congress has been sent to President Trump, expressing concerns about the communications freeze ordered for public health agencies like CDC and FDA, especially in light of the ongoing avian influenza H5N1 outbreak.
According to multiple sources, FDA is looking to reinstate staffers who were fired by the presidential administration last week, including at least ten people who are responsible for reviewing the safety of food ingredients. USDA is also working to rehire terminated employees responsible for avian influenza response.
Citing concerns that the Trump Administration could roll back or weaken Biden-era EPA drinking water standards for PFAS, a bill has been introduced in California that would set state-level limits for harmful “forever chemicals” that are at least as protective as current federal standards.
According to Bloomberg,attorney Kyle Diamantas, J.D. is expected to replace former Deputy Commissioner for Human Foods Jim Jones at FDA following his resignation, which was precipitated by mass layoffs within FDA’s Human Foods Program.
Major public health, food industry, and consumer protection groups have stated concerns about the recent mass firing of FDA Human Foods Program staff and the resignation of Deputy Commissioner Jim Jones, expressing that layoffs could jeopardize food safety and HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) agenda.
In a February 17 resignation letter, James (Jim) Jones, FDA Deputy Commissioner for Human Foods, stated that 89 “indiscriminate” firings in the Human Foods Program, including layoffs of employees with “highly technical expertise in nutrition, infant formula, food safety response,” would render his job to protect food safety “fruitless.”
Changes are coming to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) with the recent confirmation of President Trump's nominee Robert F. Kennedy Jr. (RFK Jr.) as Secretary, amid talks of major workforce reductions at HHS agencies including FDA and CDC.
President Trump's nominee Brooke Rollins, J.D. was confirmed as the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture on February 13, 2025. She will oversee USDA, and has alluded to an “aggressive plan” to “eliminate positions that are no longer necessary” at the agency.
The Trump Administration has fired 17 Inspectors General serving different federal agencies, including Phyllis K. Fong, J.D., who held the role of Inspector General at USDA. The Inspector Generals for HHS and EPA were also among those dismissed.
