WASHINGTON, Feb. 19, 2025—In response to a reduction in workforce at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), a coalition of consumer, industry, and public health stakeholder groups issues the following statement:
“Ensuring the safety of our nation’s food supply is a shared responsibility,” the coalition stated. “Food companies are committed to producing safe products. Maintaining safe, accessible, and affordable food is a fundamental public health priority and a key component of the Make America Healthy Again platform. An under-resourced food safety agency could jeopardize Secretary Kennedy’s stated objectives to improve nutrition and ingredient safety for children and adults. Adequate resources are critical not only for outbreak response but also for developing and updating food safety standards, providing science-based industry guidance, and ensuring a well-trained federal-state inspection force to protect the integrity of our food system.“
American Frozen Food Institute
Association of Food and Drug Officials
Association of Public Health Laboratories
Center for Science in the Public Interest
Consumer Brands Association
Consumer Federation of America
Consumer Reports
Council for Responsible Nutrition
Global Cold Chain Alliance
Institute for Food Safety and Nutrition Security, George Washington University
International Dairy Foods Association
STOP Foodborne Illness
Darin Detwiler
Bill Marler
Jennifer McEntire
Media contact: Michael McCauley, michael.mccauley@consumer.org