Sweeping FDA Cuts Hit Food Safety Staffer’s Inboxes
The Guardian reported that the Trump administration’s effort to slash the size of the federal workforce reached the Food and Drug Administration this weekend, as recently hired employees who review the safety of food ingredients, medical devices and other products were fired. Probationary employees across the FDA received notices on Saturday evening that their jobs were being eliminated.
On February 15, numerous probationary staff at FDA began receiving emails notifying them they had been fired. CBS News obtained a letter that outlined the reasons that staff at the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) were given for their firing.
“Unfortunately, the Agency finds that you are not fit for continued employment because your ability, knowledge and skills do not fit the Agency’s current needs, and your performance has not been adequate to justify further employment at the Agency,” said the letters.
This action lead to Jim Jones, FDA’s deputy commissioner for human foods, resigning from his post at the agency, in protest over sweeping staff cuts. See Related Story.
The NY Times reported Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. the Head of HHS made his first address on Tuesday to employees of the Department of Health and Human Services. He said that a commission established by Trump to look into the rise of chronic disease in the United States would scrutinize the factors he has cited in the past: the childhood vaccine schedule, electromagnetic radiation, pesticides, ultra-processed foods, artificial food allergens, psychiatric drugs and microplastics. “Nothing is going to be off limits,” Kennedy said.
The recent cuts at FDA include staffers responsible for reviewing the safety of new food additives and ingredients, according to an FDA staffer familiar with the firings.
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