The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has hit the pause button on a key milk safety program, raising concerns about oversight of the nation’s dairy supply.
As of April 21, the FDA’s Food Emergency Response Network Proficiency Testing Program — which regularly checks the safety and quality of Grade “A” raw milk and dairy products — has been temporarily suspended.
The agency confirmed the pause is due to the program being transferred to a new laboratory, a move meant to ensure the testing continues in the future.
“In the meantime, state and federal labs are still analyzing food samples,” the FDA said in a statement to USA TODAY. “We remain committed to protecting the safety of the pasteurized milk supply.”
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The announcement comes just weeks after the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) cut roughly 10,000 jobs across various agencies, including the FDA, CDC, and National Institutes of Health.
These sweeping layoffs have impacted staff who were part of the federal response to ongoing public health issues, including the bird flu outbreaks affecting both poultry and dairy industries.
While the FDA hasn’t directly linked the staffing cuts to the pause in testing, an internal agency email suggests the suspension is in effect due to ongoing changes.
Some industry experts and former FDA employees worry the pause could open gaps in safety monitoring, especially at a time when dairy producers are facing heightened scrutiny.
Despite the disruption, the FDA has emphasized that other state-run labs and inspection systems remain active. However, critics argue that without centralized federal coordination, inconsistencies in safety testing could emerge.
The agency has not provided a specific timeline for when the program will resume but says updates will follow as the lab transition progresses.
