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WASHINGTON — Jim Jones, the head of the food division at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration who oversaw the agency’s banning of the food dye Red No. 3 earlier this year, stepped down on Monday, citing widespread cuts across the agency. He said will make it hard to implement the types of changes the Trump administration is seeking, according to a report by Bloomberg News.
“I was looking forward to working to pursue the department’s agenda of improving the health of Americans by reducing diet-related chronic disease and risks from chemicals in food,” he said in a resignation letter to Acting FDA Commissioner Sara Brenner. Jones said that given the new administration’s “disdain for the very people” needed to make these changes, it would be “fruitless for me to continue in this role.”
Jones pointed to the layoffs of 89 staffers in the food division, cuts he called “indiscriminate.”
CRN issued the following statement his resignation from the FDA:
"While staffing changes can occur during any presidential transition, it is critical that the FDA maintains the resources, expertise and staffing levels necessary to ensure effective dietary supplement oversight that undergirds consumer confidence in the supplement market.
"Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has recognized dietary supplements as a key component of integrative healthcare and has called attention to the connection between better nutrition and better health. We’re excited to pursue this vision but realize it will require oversight and review of new ingredients, reasonable guardrails for the industry, and enforcement muscle to ensure a level playing field. We hope that reductions in FDA staff do not jeopardize that vision.
"The incoming Commissioner-nominee, Dr. Martin “Marty” Makary, offers an opportunity to strengthen the role of dietary supplements in preventative healthcare and recalibrate FDA’s regulatory approach. A well-structured and well-resourced FDA is essential to ensuring the dietary supplement marketplace is science-based and that requirements that protect consumer safety are effectively enforced. CRN looks forward to working with the FDA and policymakers to advance a regulatory framework that supports both consumer safety and industry innovation."
