What slashing federal agency budgets could mean for food safety

Summary

Marketplace Morning Report: What Slashing Federal Agency Budgets Could Mean for Food Safety

Hosted by Sabri Benishore for Marketplace, originally released on February 20, 2025.

In this episode of Marketplace Morning Report, Sabri Benishore delves into the profound implications of the Trump administration’s recent federal budget cuts, particularly focusing on their impact on food safety. The discussion highlights concerns from experts about how reduced funding and workforce layoffs within key agencies like the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) could jeopardize the nation's ability to ensure a safe food supply.

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1. Federal Workforce Cuts and Their Impact on the FDA

The Trump administration has implemented sweeping budget cuts and workforce reductions, eliminating over 10,000 federal jobs across various agencies, including the Federal Aviation Administration and the National Institutes of Health. Among the most affected is the FDA, which plays a crucial role in overseeing the safety of the U.S. food supply.

Sabri Benishore introduces the topic:

"[...] some of these cuts have experts worried about what the layoffs and firings will mean for the nation's food safety."
[00:01]

Kimberly Adams, Marketplace’s correspondent, elaborates on the extent of the FDA layoffs:

"We still don't know the full extent of the layoffs at the FDA, which oversees the safety of most of our food supply. But Darren Detweiler, a food safety expert and consultant teaching at Northeastern University, says they are widespread."
[00:38]

Darren Detweiler emphasizes the critical roles lost:

"These are technical experts, nutrition experts. Their jobs are extremely important in terms of outbreak response and disease investigation."
[00:52]

The layoffs include frontline food inspectors and investigators, many of whom were newer employees on probation. Detweiler warns:

"This is going to result in slower recalls, weaker enforcement and, quite honestly, a rollback of public health protections."
[01:08]

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2. Expert Concerns Over Reduced Oversight

The FDA has not provided a public comment on the layoffs, while the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) insists that essential safety positions remain intact. However, skepticism persists among experts.

Howard Sclamberg, a partner at Arnold and Porter and former FDA official, voices his concerns:

"I worry about if there is reduced oversight, that there will be an increase in foodborne outbreaks."
[01:38]

When questioned about the immediacy of these risks, Sclamberg responds:

"Will it occur tomorrow?"
[01:51]
Peter Lurie adds, "No."
[01:53]
Sclamberg continues, "But over the long term, if you reduce the oversight, you reduce the ability to create and implement standards. Does that affect the safety of the food supply? Yes."
[01:53]

Peter Lurie, president of the Center for Science in the Public Interest and a former FDA associate commissioner, states:

"In the meantime, the federal government's ability to respond to any crises in our food supply is reduced."
[02:03]

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3. USDA’s Position and State-Level Impact

The USDA maintains that essential safety positions are preserved, but experts remain unconvinced.

Donald Schaffner, a food microbiology professor at Rutgers, discusses the increased burden on state agencies:

"This will put a lot of pressure on state food inspectors, and quite a lot of food inspection does take place at the state level. But it's coordinated and its standards are established by groups that have FDA at the very core."
[02:17]

Despite assurances, Schaffner acknowledges:

"That's not to say no one is minding the food supply. There are still thousands of people working at the FDA and other food safety agencies. Plus, [...] thousands of us are going to keep doing their jobs right. And so that is not going to change."
[02:44]

He further notes the role of independent groups and food companies in maintaining safety standards:

"There are already independent groups that keep an eye on food safety along with the government. Plus, food companies have every incentive to protect their reputations and avoid any health scares."
[02:52]

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4. Administration’s Justification for Budget Cuts

The Trump administration defends the budget reductions as measures to save money and eliminate waste. Additionally, President Trump has indicated that a portion of the savings could be redirected to taxpayers.

Sabri Benishore outlines the administration's rationale:

"The justification from the Trump administration for the cuts to budgets in the federal workforce has been to save money and eliminate waste. Now the president says there's talk amongst his advisors of sending some of the money taken away from federal agencies directly to taxpayers."
[03:07]

Nova Safa, Marketplace’s correspondent, provides further details:

"In the last month, the Elon Musk run Department of Government Efficiency has, on behalf of the Trump administration, laid off thousands of federal workers, including those tasked with health research, nuclear security, and wildfire response and prevention. The Trump administration has also frozen foreign aid, such as deliveries of food and medicines. Now, President Trump says his advisors are considering returning 20% of the savings back to taxpayers in the form of direct payments. Another 20% would go toward paying down debt. [...] Bloomberg estimates Americans will get checks worth $11 per taxpayer."
[03:26]

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5. Additional News Briefs

Beyond food safety, the episode touches on other significant news:

• Delta Flight Crash Resolution: Sabri Benishore reports that passengers from a Delta flight that crashed in Toronto have mostly been released from the hospital, with Delta offering $30,000 to each injured passenger.

[04:26]

• Housing Market Concerns: Justin Ho discusses a National Association of Homebuilders survey indicating declining expectations for future new home sales due to uncertainties around tariffs and rising material costs. Nancy Vandenhouten, lead economist at Oxford Economics, explains that increased input costs can lead to higher home prices and discourage new construction, exacerbating the already tight housing market. Additionally, Charlie Dougherty, senior economist at Wells Fargo, warns that stricter immigration policies could limit the availability of construction workers, further hindering supply and maintaining high housing prices.

[05:33 - 06:27]

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Conclusion

The episode underscores the critical ramifications of federal budget cuts on food safety, emphasizing expert concerns about diminished oversight and slower response capabilities. While the administration posits financial savings and potential taxpayer benefits as justifications for the reductions, the long-term effects on public health and safety remain a significant concern. Additionally, the episode briefly touches on other pressing issues such as the housing market and recent airline incidents, providing listeners with a comprehensive overview of current economic and safety challenges.

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This summary is based on the transcript provided and aims to capture the key discussions, insights, and conclusions presented in the episode.

Transcript

[Sabri Benishore]

What slashing federal agency budgets could mean for food safety From Marketplace, I'm Sabri Benishore, in for David Brancaccio. The Trump administration has fired more than 10,000 employees across the federal workforce, from the Federal Aviation Administration to the National Institutes of Health. It's also cut agency budgets, and some of these cuts have experts worried about what the layoffs and firings will mean for the nation's food food safety. This week, the head of the Food and Drug Administration's food safety division resigned, saying, according to multiple reports, that the cuts will damage the FDA's ability to safeguard our food supply. Marketplace's Kimberly Adams has more.

[Kimberly Adams]

We still don't know the full extent of the layoffs at the fda, which oversees the safety of most of our food supply. But Darren Detweiler, a food safety expert and consultant teaching at Northeastern University, says they are widespread.

[Darren Detweiler]

These are technical experts, nutrition experts. Their jobs are extremely important in terms of outbreak response and disease investigation.

[Kimberly Adams]

Frontline food inspectors and investigators have been laid off or fired, some because they were newer employees on probation.

[Darren Detweiler]

This is going to result in slower recalls, weaker enforcement and, quite honestly, a rollback of public health protections.

[Kimberly Adams]

The FDA did not respond to a request for comment by deadline. The usda, which handles some aspects of food safety national, said in a statement that the agency is committed to preserving essential safety positions and will ensure that critical services remain uninterrupted. But many experts and former food safety officials are unconvinced.

[Howard Sclamberg]

I worry about if there is reduced oversight, that there will be an increase in foodborne outbreaks.

[Kimberly Adams]

Howard Sclamberg is a partner at the law firm Arnold and Porter and spent years in a variety of positions at the fda.

[Howard Sclamberg]

Will it occur tomorrow?

[Peter Lurie]

No.

[Howard Sclamberg]

But over the long term, if you reduce the oversight, you reduce the ability to create and implement standards. Does that affect the safety of the food supply? Yes.

[Kimberly Adams]

In the meantime, the federal government's ability to respond to any crises in our food supply is reduced, says Peter Lurie, president of the center for Science in the Public Interest, who was previously an associate commissioner at the fda.

[Donald Schaffner]

This will put a lot of pressure on state food inspectors, and quite a lot of food inspection does take place at the state level. But it's coordinated and its standards are established by groups that have FDA at the very core.

[Kimberly Adams]

That's not to say no one is minding the food supply. There are still thousands of people working at the FDA and other food safety agencies. Plus, says Donald Schaffner, a food microbiology professor at Rutgers, food safety people that.

[Sabri Benishore]

Work in the food industry and there are thousands of us, right, are going to keep doing their jobs right. And so that is not going to change.

[Kimberly Adams]

Schaffner says there are already independent groups that keep an eye on food safety along with the government. Plus, food companies have every incentive to protect their reputations and avoid any health scares. In Washington, I'm Kimberly Adams for Marketplace.

[Sabri Benishore]

The justification from the Trump administration for the cuts to budgets in the federal workforce has been to save money and eliminate waste. Now the president says there's talk amongst his advisors of sending some of the money taken away from federal agencies directly to taxpayers. How much might that be? Marketplace's NovaSafo has that.

[Peter Lurie]

In the last month, the Elon Musk run Department of Government Efficiency has, on behalf of the Trump administration, laid off thousands of federal workers, including those tasked with health research, nuclear security, and wildfire response and prevention. The Trump administration has also frozen foreign aid, such as deliveries of food and medicines. Now, President Trump says his advisors are considering returning 20% of the savings back to taxpayers in the form of direct payments. Another 20% would go toward paying down debt. The president didn't say what the White House would do with the rest of the savings. Although tax cuts are high on the president's priority list, how much indirect payments taxpayers get depends on the final numbers. The White house has claimed $55 billion in savings so far, while independent analysts have added up about eight and a half billion. @ that last number, Bloomberg estimates Americans will get checks worth $11 per taxpayer. I'm Nova Safa for Marketplace.

[Sabri Benishore]

Passengers on that Delta flight that crashed landed in Toronto, where the plane flipped upside down. Everyone survived. Delta is offering them $30,000 each. Airlines are required by law to offer upfront payments to passengers to cover urgent needs. Delta said yesterday that all but one of the 21 injured passengers have been released from the hospital. We are going to get an update on existing home sales tomorrow from the national association of Realtors. This week we also got some news about the market for new homes. The contractors that build them are not feeling great about the future. A survey from the national association of Homebuilders found their expectations for future sales fell to the lowest level in more than a year, mainly because of uncertainty about tariffs and how they might dramatically increase the cost of materials used to build homes. Marketplace's Justin Ho has more.

[Justin Ho]

Home builders rely on imported goods to make homes, including lumber, metals and appliances.

[Nancy Vandenhouten]

And if their costs go up, that will translate into prices probably being higher than they would otherwise.

[Justin Ho]

Nancy Vandenhouten is lead economist at Oxford economics, she says higher input costs could discourage new construction, which has been adding much needed supply to a tight housing market.

[Nancy Vandenhouten]

Would be Homeowners have faced a lot of hurdles for several years, and lack of new supply will only make those hurdles higher.

[Justin Ho]

Another factor that could affect supply is the availability of workers. Charlie Dougherty, senior economist at Wells Fargo, says if the Trump administration continues to crack down on immigration, that could be.

[Donald Schaffner]

Another sort of obstacle for home builders, who may wish to expand supply but not be able to have the workers to do so.

[Justin Ho]

As a result, Dougherty says, home affordability probably won't improve much over the coming year. I'm Justin Hobby for Marketplace, and in.

[Sabri Benishore]

New York, I'm Sabri Benishore with the Marketplace Morning Report from apm American Public Media.