United States: The Food and Drug Administration implemented food testing laboratory quality control program suspensions because Health and Human Services department staff reductions were observed in internal documents provided to Reuters.
Critical Testing Programs Affected
Food Emergency Response Network’s proficiency testing program at the FDA serves to maintain consistency while ensuring accurate food pathogen and contaminant testing by its 170 member laboratories, which prevent food-borne illness.
Public health research efforts and vital agency tasks related to bird flu prevention and drug approvals suffered disturbances from the separation of approximately 20,000 HHS personnel. President Donald Trump aims to eliminate up to $40 billion from the Health and Human Services Budget.
Personnel Losses Disrupt Food and Drug Oversight
“Unfortunately, significant reductions in force, including a key quality assurance officer, an analytical chemist, and two microbiologists at FDA’s Human Food Program Moffett Center, have an immediate and significant impact on the Food Emergency Response Network (FERN) Proficiency Testing (PT) Program,” says the email sent on Tuesday from FERN’s National Program Office and seen by Reuters.
The Food and Drug Administration is suspending a quality control program for its food testing laboratories as a result of staff cuts at the Department of Health and Human Services, according to an internal email seen by Reuters. https://t.co/Ui1JkbJEju pic.twitter.com/9mgVODQFZb
— Reuters (@Reuters) April 18, 2025
“These PTs and Exercises are critical to demonstrating the competency and readiness of our laboratory network to detect and respond to food safety and food defense events,” the email says.
Requesting comment about this matter HHS did not respond immediately.
Bird Flu Surveillance and Drug Reviews Delayed
Food safety laboratories need these tests to achieve accreditation standards according to a knowledgeable source unaware of suitable alternative testing solutions available to the FDA.
The FDA halted its initiative to strengthen bird flu testing of milk and cheese and pet food products in early April due to personnel reduction, as reported by Reuters.