Overview

• The FDA has suspended its Food Emergency Response Network (FERN) Proficiency Testing Program through September 30, halting quality control checks for food safety labs.
• Planned tests for contaminants like Cyclospora in spinach and glyphosate in barley are now on hold due to staffing shortages caused by HHS-led layoffs.
• The agency is drafting proposals to transfer most routine food safety inspections to state and local authorities, reserving federal oversight for high-risk and international inspections.
• FDA leadership is expediting the hiring of contractors to fill gaps left by the termination of support staff who facilitated inspections and lab testing.
• Critics warn these changes could weaken food safety oversight, with the FDA union calling the cuts a significant risk to public health.