Dairy cows make a return to the former Peaceful Meadows in Whitman, which is now part of Hornstra. Owner John Hornstra is renovating the farm to produce milk and ice cream. Hornstra has a large farm in Norwell. Wednesday, October 23, 2024
Washington D.C. – The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has suspended a key quality-control program that tests fluid milk and other dairy products, citing reduced operational capacity within its food safety and nutrition division. The suspension comes amid sweeping staffing reductions and administrative shifts at the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), according to an internal FDA email obtained by Reuters.
Effective April 21, the FDA halted its proficiency testing program for Grade “A” raw milk and finished dairy products, a system that ensures testing consistency across national food safety laboratories. Grade “A” milk represents the highest sanitary standard for dairy products. The program, managed by the FDA’s Moffett Center Proficiency Testing Laboratory, was paused because the lab “is no longer able to provide laboratory support for proficiency testing and data analysis,” according to the internal message sent to “Network Laboratories.”
The suspension is part of a broader disruption to federal food safety operations following the departure of 20,000 HHS employees—a reduction driven by the Trump administration’s initiative to significantly downsize the federal workforce. The administration has proposed cutting $40 billion from HHS, which oversees the FDA.
The FDA also recently suspended other vital food-safety efforts, including programs for detecting bird flu in dairy products like milk and cheese and pathogen testing for parasites such as Cyclospora.
While the FDA has halted the proficiency testing program, the collective insists that food testing is ongoing. In a statement, the agency confirmed that the Food Emergency Response Network Proficiency Testing Program is in the process of transitioning to a new lab. “In the meantime, state and federal labs continue to analyze food samples,” the agency said. “FDA remains committed to working with states to protect the safety of the pasteurized milk supply.”
An HHS spokesperson noted that the Moffett Center was already set to be decommissioned before the staffing cuts. However, food safety experts say the pause in the proficiency testing program may undermine nationwide efforts to ensure consistency and reliability in dairy testing.
Proficiency testing programs are vital for laboratory accreditation and national quality standards. Their suspension could delay the detection of contaminants and weaken regulatory oversight in the dairy supply chain.
The FDA said it is “actively evaluating alternative approaches for the upcoming fiscal year” and plans to update participating labs as more information becomes available. The pause in testing has raised concerns about the future integrity of the nation’s dairy safety monitoring efforts.
