If you've picked up the news lately, you may have seen troubling headlines about the Food and Drug Administration slashing its workforce.

For many Americans who rely on safe medications and food, those headlines were more than alarming.

They raised serious concerns about inspections, drug oversight, and what’s going on behind closed doors.

Could these layoffs be putting your health at risk?



In recent days, FDA leadership has started to walk back some of those job cuts after major backlash.

Dozens of scientists, lab workers, and inspection support staff were abruptly laid off—only to later learn some of them would be brought back.

These sudden reversals followed widespread disruption to critical safety operations, with some drug testing and inspection work stalling entirely.

The situation has many questioning how something this serious happened in the first place.


The layoffs were originally part of a larger plan to slash up to 3,500 jobs from the agency.

Among those affected were scientists at drug safety labs in Puerto Rico and Detroit, food safety labs in Chicago and San Francisco, and staff who assist inspectors in coordinating travel for overseas inspections.

The cuts immediately delayed or derailed programs meant to monitor drug quality, investigate fraud, and ensure food safety both domestically and abroad.

According to the Department of Health and Human Services, the job cuts were based on faulty data from outdated and siloed HR systems.



In an effort to clean up the mess, the department says it's now reorganizing administrative functions for better accuracy and coordination.

But for the hundreds of employees impacted—and the public relying on their work—the damage had already been done.

Some labs remain closed, and others are still trying to catch up with backlogged assignments.

Among those reinstated are scientists at FDA drug labs and support staff for inspections, particularly those working with foreign travel logistics.



Still, out of nearly 200 support staff who were laid off, only about two dozen are being reinstated.

And while the agency is trying to shift inspectors to domestic duties, many of the FDA’s foreign inspection programs have fallen behind—some hitting just 60% completion in recent weeks.

At the same time, $700,000 in unpaid inspection expenses remain outstanding.

The FDA also lost chemists who were previously embedded in inspection teams abroad, complicating the process of evaluating and seizing potentially dangerous products.



Their labs had tested medical supplies reserved for national emergencies—including pandemics and military use—and tracked shelf-life standards for stockpiled drugs.

With these labs now understaffed or closed, vital timelines have been compromised.

FDA Commissioner Dr. Marty Makary had floated using private contractors to plug staffing gaps, but the agency has since pivoted to rehiring experienced staff instead.

Still, a federal hiring freeze, wave of retirements, and delays in equipment purchasing have made ramping back up difficult.

Read next:

• Public health at risk? FDA suspends key safety checks after layoffs
• Is your favorite candy cancerous? 8 states hit by shocking FDA recall

Have you ever been affected by a drug recall or food safety alert? Do you trust agencies like the FDA to protect public health—especially after incidents like this? Drop your thoughts in the comments. Your experience might help others stay informed, alert, and prepared.