The senior official responsible for food safety and nutrition at the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), James Jones, stepped down from his position this week. His resignation comes amid his disapproval of the current wave of layoffs impacting numerous scientists and health officials within the FDA’s food program.
In his letter of resignation, Jones voiced his concerns that the “random” layoffs would act as another hindrance to the “Make America Healthy Again” initiative introduced by the Secretary of Health and Human Services, Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
The staff members let go were experts in various areas including nutrition, infant formula, food safety response, and chemical safety. Jones highlighted that these employees were essential for reviewing potentially unsafe ingredients in our food. He revealed that a minimum of 89 employees under his supervision had been laid off from the FDA’s human foods program.
The Trump administration’s Department of Government Efficiency, also known as DOGE, is responsible for these cost-cutting measures which have impacted various departments within the FDA, from those overseeing tobacco products to medical devices. The dismissals were abrupt, often with officials learning of them through letters emailed directly to staff by human resources outside the FDA.
The total number of employees laid off at the FDA is yet to be disclosed.
Jones, a former top regulatory official at the Environmental Protection Agency, had played a key role in the FDA’s food safety work. He had been leading an initiative to reevaluate the safety of additives previously approved for use in food.
Under his guidance, the FDA moved to ban the color additive Red 3, which has been linked to cancer in laboratory animals. He also proposed nutrition labels on the front of food packages, aimed at encouraging Americans and food manufacturers to opt for healthier choices.
In spite of these setbacks, Jones had expressed his willingness to collaborate with Kennedy’s incoming team. However, these recent layoffs, which he termed “short-sighted” and “random,” led to his decision to resign.
In the lead-up to the election, Kennedy had expressed his intention to fire all of the food and nutrition staff at the FDA and other federal agencies, citing conflicts of interest. Jones, however, defended his team, stating that the FDA’s food program staff is globally renowned for its technical, professional, and ethical standards.
Under the Biden administration, FDA officials have criticized Congress and the courts for limiting the efforts of public health authorities to regulate unhealthy and unsafe food, calling for more resources and less legal hurdles.
