The FDA’s current personnel crisis represents a significant threat to America’s food and drug safety infrastructure. Recent staff cuts under the Trump administration have severely depleted the agency’s workforce, with over 1,000 employees reportedly terminated following Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s confirmation as HHS Secretary in February 2025. These widespread terminations have targeted probationary employees across critical FDA divisions responsible for food safety, medical device regulation, and tobacco product oversight. The resulting workforce shortage has created dangerous gaps in regulatory oversight and inspection capabilities, potentially putting millions of Americans at risk as the agency struggles to fulfill its public health protection mandate.
Systematic Dismantling of FDA Expertise
The systematic reduction of FDA personnel has created a troubling void in regulatory oversight. According to reports, the cuts have specifically targeted probationary employees across critical centers responsible for food safety monitoring, medical device evaluation, and tobacco product regulation. These divisions represent crucial frontline defenses in protecting public health from contaminated foods, unsafe medical products, and harmful tobacco items.
Former FDA tobacco director Mitch Zeller highlighted the devastating impact on morale, stating these firings “demoralize and undermine the spirit of the federal workforce.” The loss extends beyond just numbers – it’s a drain of specialized knowledge and institutional memory. Peter Pitts, former FDA associate commissioner, emphasized that new hires bring “new ideas, greater enthusiasm, and the latest thinking in terms of technology,” resources now absent from the agency’s toolkit.
The targeted nature of these cuts reveals concerning priorities. By focusing terminations on probationary employees, the administration has eliminated the most recently hired specialists who often bring updated technical expertise and fresh perspectives to regulatory challenges. This approach has created significant gaps in specialized knowledge across multiple FDA divisions.
Many of these terminated employees worked in food safety inspection departments that monitor everything from commercial bakeries to imported fruit facilities. Without adequate staffing in these critical areas, the FDA’s ability to prevent contaminated products from reaching store shelves has been severely compromised.
Bottlenecks in Regulatory Reviews and Approvals
The dramatic reduction in specialized staff has created significant bottlenecks in regulatory reviews across multiple product categories. Technical roles requiring advanced scientific expertise have been particularly affected, resulting in growing backlogs for product evaluations and approval processes. This slowdown directly impacts consumer access to new technologies, treatments, and food products.
FDA inspection forces, already stretched thin since the COVID-19 pandemic, now face even greater challenges in monitoring food, drug, and medical device facilities. Regular inspections serve as a critical safeguard against contamination, adulteration, and safety violations. With fewer inspectors available, the frequency and thoroughness of these safety checks have naturally declined.
What many don’t realize is that nearly half of the FDA’s $6.9 billion budget comes directly from user fees — funds paid by companies seeking regulatory review. Cuts to these user fee-funded positions don’t actually reduce government spending but instead cripple the agency’s ability to process applications efficiently. This creates a lose-lose situation where government spending isn’t reduced while critical public health functions are compromised.
Chad Landmon, chair of Hatch-Waxman & Biologics at Polsinelli, warned that substantial staffing cuts could create a “brain drain” affecting all types of regulatory applications. This expertise gap particularly impacts complex food safety regulations that require specialized knowledge to implement effectively, potentially leading to increased food security challenges across multiple supply chains.
The Revolving Door of Rehiring Efforts
In an apparent recognition of the damage caused, some limited rehiring efforts have taken place, particularly within the device office where technical expertise is especially difficult to replace. However, these modest attempts at workforce restoration have been insufficient to address the scale of the initial firings. The ongoing uncertainty around job security continues to damage morale among remaining staff.
Reports indicate that of the more than 1,000 employees initially terminated, only a small fraction have been rehired. This instability creates a dangerous cycle where institutional knowledge is lost, then partially recovered at great cost, only to risk being lost again with each new policy shift. The constant disruption undermines the FDA’s ability to execute its mission consistently and effectively.
The rehiring process itself has been problematic, with many former employees reluctant to return to positions they perceive as unstable. This hesitation is well-founded considering the current administration’s stated commitment to further reducing the federal workforce. Former FDA officials have noted that this workforce instability could be counterproductive to the agency’s public health mission.
These staffing challenges create gaps in critical food safety divisions that monitor everything from commercial food processing facilities to imported products. The resulting inspection shortfalls increase the potential for contaminated or adulterated foods to reach consumers, a concern that impacts everyone who relies on the FDA for social responsibility in the food industry.
Policy Shifts Driving Further Workforce Exodus
Beyond the direct terminations, recent policy changes have accelerated voluntary departures from the FDA. The elimination of remote work options has proven especially damaging to retention efforts. All FDA leaders within 50 miles of headquarters were required to return to in-office work by February 24, with remaining employees following by March 17 of this year.
This abrupt policy reversal disregards the successful remote work arrangements established during the pandemic that allowed the FDA to maintain operations while protecting employee health. Many specialized scientists and technical experts who joined the agency during this period did so with the understanding that flexible work arrangements would continue. The sudden change has prompted many to seek positions in the private sector where remote options remain available.
Equally concerning has been the elimination of diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility (DEI) initiatives throughout the agency. These programs were designed not only to ensure equitable treatment of employees but also to help the FDA better understand and address the diverse health needs of all Americans. Industry observers note that these policy shifts further impact the agency’s ability to both retain current talent and attract new qualified candidates.
The combined effect of these policy changes has created what some describe as a “perfect storm” for workforce depletion. Chad Landmon highlighted that the loss of remote work options and DEI initiatives could further damage retention and hiring efforts for an agency already struggling with food policy implementation across multiple program areas.
The Real Threat to Public Health and Safety
The culmination of these workforce challenges presents a clear and present danger to public health safety. Regulatory bottlenecks don’t just mean paperwork delays – they represent real products not being evaluated for safety, real facilities not being inspected, and real risks not being mitigated. The consequences of these failures will be measured in contaminated food reaching store shelves, unsafe medical devices entering the market, and potentially harmful products remaining available to consumers.
The FDA’s inspection force serves as America’s first line of defense against adulterated and contaminated products. With this force now diminished, the agency’s ability to conduct regular inspections has been compromised across all regulated industries. This reduced oversight directly increases the likelihood of safety problems going undetected until they affect public health.
I’m particularly concerned about the impact these cuts will have on food safety during a time of rising food inflation in 2025. When economic pressures increase, some food producers may cut corners on safety protocols to maintain profit margins. Without robust FDA oversight, these shortcuts might go undetected until they cause foodborne illness outbreaks.
Mitch Zeller’s warning about workforce demoralization speaks to the broader implications for public health protection. When regulatory staff feel undervalued and overburdened, their ability to perform their critical public health mission diminishes. This creates a dangerous situation where safety gaps multiply across the food supply, pharmaceutical market, and medical device industry – all areas where failures can have immediate and serious consequences for American consumers.