On Feb. 17, James “Jim” Jones, deputy commissioner for human foods at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), resigned from his position, which he has held since 2023. Jones resigned after 89 people were let go from their positions in the food division.

“I, personally, and the organization were very excited about the agenda that Secretary Kennedy has articulated for foods, in particular around nutrition and food chemical safety,” Jones said in an interview with STAT. “But so far, all of the actions we’re seeing from this administration—not just the rhetoric, which is very … dismissive would be the nicest thing to say about what they’ve said about federal employees—but also their actions.” 

In his resignation letter to the acting FDA commissioner, Sara Brenner, which was obtained by Bloomberg News, Jones said the cuts would make it “fruitless” to continue in his role given the Trump administration’s “disdain for the very people” needed to implement food safety reforms.

“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,” said The Council for Responsible Nutrition (CRN) in a statement.

“Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has recognized dietary supplements as a key component of integrative health care 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,” CRN continued.

“The incoming Commissioner-nominee, Dr. Martin “Marty” Makary, offers an opportunity to strengthen the role of dietary supplements in preventative health care 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.”