The views stated here are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of the editors of this newspaper. We welcome supporting or opposing views on any published item. Received April 19, 2025.
U.S. Food and Drug Administration staff and funding reductions could negatively impact our food safety, increasing food-related illnesses.
Facts To Consider
- Keeping food safe is a huge task conducted by few inspectors. In 2024 there were 432 full-time FDA food inspectors monitoring 75,000 domestic food facilities and 125,000 foreign food facilities.
- Food inspectors were among the more than 700 employees cut from the FDA in the past six weeks. Funding to states was cut by $34 million, impacting the number of food inspectors on the state level. Plans are to reduce more than 3,500 additional FDA staff.
- Before these cuts, the FDA couldn’t cover everything; we import 90% of our seafood, 60% of our fresh fruit, and 35% of our vegetables, but conduct 10% of the foreign food inspections the government mandates.
- Recently, foodborne pathogens had serious consequences. Bacteria in infant formula sickened babies. Listeria-infected deli meat led to sixty hospitalizations and ten deaths in nineteen states. Each time, officials tracked the source, had food pulled off shelves, and audited grocery stores to ensure food was removed.
- With fewer FDA employees and less state funding, outbreaks are likely to rise — not “somewhere,” but in our community.
What We Can Do
Be careful in food selection, handling and preparation:
- Shop stores/restaurants with their own inspectors – typically larger stores/restaurant chains
- Check “Sell By” dates on foods/beverages before you buy/use them.
- Inspect fruit/vegetables carefully.
- Wash fruits/vegetables
- Fully cook all fresh food. Here are the government’s guidelines: https://www.foodsafety.gov/food-safety-charts/meatpoultry-charts.
- Consult Food Safety resources (e.g., Center for Disease Control at https://www.cdc.gov/foodsafety/index.html.)
- Cook food to the right temperature; consult a food safety chart.
- If in doubt, Google how to tell if certain foods like clams/mussels have gone bad.
Future letters from the Haddam Democratic Town Committee will provide information on other issues affecting our daily lives.
Submitted by Tim Teran, Haddam Democratic Town Committee
