Updated March 26, 2026 Federal Dismantlement
Serious Rights Violation Ongoing Reported record
FDA Food Safety Collapse: 3,500+ Staff Cut and Outbreak Investigation Capacity Gutted
Mass layoffs at the FDA driven by the Department of Government Efficiency eliminated over 3,500 staff in 2025, causing foreign food safety inspections to drop by nearly half, outbreak investigations …
- The FDA lost 3,859 employees in 2025 and 473 more in early 2026, driven by DOGE-mandated layoffs that included 70 outbreak investigators and …
- Foreign food safety inspections fell by nearly half in March 2025 and remained approximately 30% lower through July compared to previous …