Report: Layoffs delay publication of food safety warning letters

The publication of more than a dozen food safety warning letters has been delayed following last month’s mass layoffs of federal health workers, according to a report from NBC News.

U.S. Food and Drug Administration inspections uncovered food safety violations, including inadequate contamination precautions at a fresh sprouts producer, and detailed those finding in warning letters. But those letters were not published after the federal workers responsible for reviewing the letters before they’re posted online were fired, according to the NBC News report.

The report cited a current FDA staff member and a former FDA employee.

The April layoffs gutted the teams responsible for reviewing public records and redacting any confidential information, according to the employees, who spoke to NBC News on the condition of anonymity as they were not authorized to share internal details.

The FDA responded to questions from NBC News with a statement that didn’t address warning letter publication. The agency “remains fully committed to transparency, accountability, and the protection of public health,” the statement said.

The FDA often issues warning letters after noting concerns and determining a company’s response was inadequate. The agency typically gives the company a few weeks to respond before posting letters on its website after an internal review.

Food safety advocates told NBC News that the letters are an important tool for alerting the public and retailers to violations that could threaten public health.

“It’s an indication that something has gone wrong — it’s not just a normal part of the inspection process. You get a warning letter when there’s a real problem,” said Thomas Gremillion, director of food policy at the Consumer Federation of America, an advocacy group. “There are people you’d expect to use this information to protect the public.”

The FDA also uses warning letters to pressure companies into action. Last June, Dollar Tree received a warning letter for failing to pull lead-tainted applesauce pouches despite a national product recall.