FDA Spending Freeze Risks Food Safety, Staff Warn
The FDA’s food safety program, already underfunded, faces worsening conditions due to recent budget cuts. These cuts, some initiated under the previous administration, reduce critical rapid response teams and compromise the agency’s ability to conduct necessary inspections and remove unsafe products from the market. Experts warn that this underfunding, primarily due to insufficient congressional appropriations compared to the agency’s drug division, will lead to increased outbreaks and recalls, leaving consumers vulnerable. Consequently, current FDA employees are voicing concerns about the agency’s diminished capacity to ensure food safety.
John Q. Hosedrinker