Recent outbreaks of foodborne pathogens, from tainted infant formula to listeria-infested deli meat, have emphasized severe public health risks. Despite vigorous recall efforts by officials, funding cuts and administrative changes from the Trump administration threaten effective monitoring and prevention. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) suffers from spending freezes which hinder routine testing, while a substantial reduction in resources could limit the workforce responsible for ensuring public safety. Agencies face additional challenges as essential committees studying deadly bacteria have been disbanded, leaving critical safety measures inadequately addressed.
Some of those employees and their specific roles in ending outbreaks are now threatened by Trump administration measures to increase government efficiency, which come on top of cuts already being made by the Food and Drug Administration's chronically underfunded food division.
At the Food and Drug Administration, freezes on government credit card spending ordered by the Trump administration have impeded staff members from buying food to perform routine tests for deadly bacteria.
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