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Following mass layoffs that swept regulatory agencies, including those responsible for food safety and foodborne illness response, the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) has walked back its orders to dismiss probationary employees. The change was prompted by a court decision that deemed OPM’s orders to dismiss staffers as unlawful.

The Association of Food and Drug Officials (AFDO) is launching a webinar series, titled, Striving and Surviving, aimed at helping U.S. regulatory professionals deal with budget cuts and general uncertainty.

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. 

USDA has announced the availability of financial investments to combat the ongoing highly pathogenic avian influenza H5N1 outbreak, including $500 million for farm biosecurity and $100 million for the development of chicken vaccines and other therapeutics.

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. 

The results of an FDA retail survey have been published, showing that pasteurization effectively inactivates avian influenza in dairy products other than milk, such as butter, ice cream, and cheese. USDA analyzed the samples collected by FDA.

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.

Predictive models help inform decision-making, and can also serve as documentation toward customers, regulators, and third-party auditors. This article examines DMRI Predict, a collection of predictive models that can be used to assess food safety and spoilage (both microbiological and sensory) of meat and meat products.

Based on survey responses from food processors, part 2 of this column series explores industry perspectives on USDA's changing regulatory approach to Salmonella in raw poultry products and how it may affect processors' operations. The article also delves into processors' top priorities for their food safety programs in 2025.