Article Summary:
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is reinstating over 20 of its roughly 60 travel staff, who handle bookings for safety inspectors. Additionally, food scientists who test for bacteria and study harmful chemicals will also get their jobs back, though they have not yet received official confirmation.
The FDA has also faced uncertainty around employees who process agency records for release under the Freedom of Information Act. About 100 of these staffers were recently eliminated, leading to the FDA missing multiple court-ordered deadlines to produce documents, which could result in fines. This has prompted plans to bring back a significant number of those employees.
These apparent reversals are the latest examples of the FDA’s haphazard approach to agency cuts, which have reduced its workforce by an estimated 20%, or about 3,500 jobs. In February, the FDA had laid off around 700 provisional employees, including food and medical device reviewers, only to rehire many of them shortly after.
FDA Commissioner Marty Makary has stated that no FDA scientists were fired, but at least two dozen food scientists working in testing laboratories were let go in March. The Department of Health and Human Services acknowledged issues with the “fractured, outdated HR infrastructure” inherited from the previous administration.
With over 15,000 employees, the FDA’s core responsibilities include reviewing new drugs, medical products, and food ingredients, as well as inspecting thousands of factories. The reinstatement of support staff is crucial, as inspectors often rely on travel bookers to coordinate their extensive travel requirements.
Article Excerpt:
About 15 scientists working in FDA’s Division of Food Processing Science and Technology in Chicago were told last week they be will reinstated, according to a staffer who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss confidential agency matters. But a week later there has been no written confirmation and the scientists have not returned to the office. The group’s research includes studying ways to prevent harmful bacteria from growing on produce and preventing the spread of microplastics and other particles from food packaging.