FDA will reduce food and drug inspections due to federal layoffs

• The Food and Drug Administration announced it would likely reduce inspections due to federal support staff layoffs. The agency said it will focus on high-risk cases and facilities with safety concerns.
• Field investigators will need to undertake additional administrative tasks, which may limit the number of inspections they can carry out, further straining the agency’s already backlogged schedule.
• The cuts come as the FDA faces pressure to meet inspection goals delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic, raising concerns about public health and regulatory enforcement.

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The Food and Drug Administration said it will have to pull back on routine food and drug inspections after a wave of federal support staff layoffs.

The Trump administration cut approximately 170 employees from the agency’s Office of Inspections and Investigations, prompting officials to shift attention toward higher-risk cases.

While field inspectors remain on the job, the loss of support personnel has already disrupted planning, scheduling and overseas operations.

Which inspections will change?

FDA officials said they would scale back “surveillance inspections” considered lower priority. The agency will instead focus on facilities with past safety issues or those requiring follow-up action.

It also paused a pilot program for unannounced foreign inspections due to the absence of staff who previously coordinated translators and logistics for international site visits.

What triggered the staffing cuts?

The Department of Health and Human Services, led by Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., ordered broad job reductions across multiple public health agencies.

The effort is part of a larger government restructuring to consolidate programs under a new division.

Kennedy framed the plan as a push to streamline operations, with the goal of “doing more with less.”

The administration looks to eliminate up to 20,000 positions across federal health agencies.

How are field teams adjusting?

With fewer administrative staff, FDA investigators now manage their own travel arrangements and documentation. Agency officials said this change will likely reduce the number of inspections inspectors can complete.

Compounding the problem, a new federal spending cap of $1 on government-issued cards has introduced further delays since purchases above that threshold require advance approval.

What’s the bigger picture?

Even before the cuts, the FDA was pressured to meet inspection goals delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic.

A January report by the Government Accountability Office warned the agency was falling behind on food safety deadlines mandated by Congress.

Experts now worry the latest changes could slow oversight even further, raising concerns about public health and regulatory enforcement at a critical time.