Food Safety Was Slipping in the U.S. Amid Mass Layoffs
Mass layoffs and significant budget cuts in early 2025 have undermined the U.S. food safety system, leading to delays in inspections and compromised outbreak responses.
Published on April 9, 2025
In early April 2025, the U.S. food safety system suffered a major setback when the Department of Health and Human Services laid off 10,000 workers – including 2,500 critical FDA staff responsible for food inspections, lab testing, and outbreak response. These cuts compounded years of reduced funding that already weakened state-level inspection programs and delayed key provisions of the Food Safety Modernization Act, leading to only 51% of high-risk facilities being inspected on time as of 2021.
Additional reports indicate that these layoffs have disrupted essential public safety measures, including vital safety hotlines and rapid outbreak responses. With foodborne illness outbreaks on the rise in 2024 and concerns mounting over the future ability of agencies to manage and mitigate risks, experts warn that the loss of experienced personnel could leave more Americans exposed to undetected food-related hazards.