The Food and Drug Administration is set to rehire some of the staff that was let go during mass firings in the past three months.
The rehires will include some food safety inspectors and some scientists who test food for bacteria and other contaminants. Former FDA leaders and employees have said the firings have compromised the agency’s ability to keep the country’s food safe.
Also scheduled to be rehired are some of the 100 staff members who handled communications for the agency, including some who worked in the area of Freedom of information Act requests. Recently, the FDA has missed court-ordered deadlines to produce certain documents for lawyers, companies and the public, according to a report from the Associated Press.
In February, March and April, the FDA let go about 3,200 employees without stating cause. That represents about 20 percent of the agency’s workforce. Some of the employees left as retirees or voluntary buyouts, but the FDA has not released any specific numbers.
Deputy Commissioner for Foods Jim Jones resigned from the agency saying the firings were not in line with Health and Human Secretary Robert F. Kennedy’s mission to Make America Healthy Again. Kennedy and FDA Commissioner Marty Makary have said that the firings are part of a streamlining effort, but they have not released a plan to accomplish that goal.
Commissioner Makary has said no scientists have been fired, but at least 24 food scientists were fired in March. About 15 scientists who worked for the Division of Food Processing Science and Technology were told this past week that they would be reinstated, but the Associated Press learned there hasn’t been any written confirmation of that.
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