WASHINGTON — The former head of the Food and Drug Administration’s food division announced his resignation this week, citing concerns that cuts made by the Trump administration are jeopardizing the agenda set by health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Jim Jones, who until Monday served as the FDA’s deputy commissioner for foods, expressed his concerns in an interview with STAT.
Jones highlighted the enthusiasm he and the organization had for Secretary Kennedy’s agenda, particularly regarding nutrition and food chemical safety. However, he noted that the actions taken by the Trump administration, beyond dismissive rhetoric about federal employees, are undermining these goals.
The Trump administration’s recent firings and proposed cuts have raised alarms about the future direction and effectiveness of the FDA’s food division. Jones’s resignation underscores the tension between the administration’s cost-cutting measures and the need to maintain critical public health functions.
— news from STAT