Protecting families from contaminated food and water
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Protecting families from contaminated food and water
Posted in Food Policy,Food Safety,Our Blog on October 2, 2025
If you have turned on the television or opened a social media app, chances are you are aware of the current government shutdown.
As someone who researches foodborne illness and tracks recalls and outbreaks, I was surprised to find an announcement on how the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is working during this pause on funding.
Fortunately, key aspects of the agency continue to operate.
Here’s what we know so far about how the government shutdown will impact food safety.
In response to a dispute over a temporary spending package intended to fund the federal government until the end of November, a government shutdown began early Wednesday morning.
Hundreds of thousands of government employees will be furloughed, layoffs may also complicate many government programs.
In all, 32,460 employees in the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) are slated for furlough for the duration of the shutdown. Based on information from an HHS fiscal year 2026 contingency plan, this is about 41% of the agency’s normal workforce.
Divisions of HHS impacted by these temporary changes include The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the National Institutes of Health (NIH), and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS).
“HHS will cease all non-exempt and non-excepted activities in the event of a lapse in appropriation,” said the contingency plan.
The last time something happened of this nature was in 2018, where the shutdown, lasting for 34 days, extended into 2019.
Fortunately, certain key functions of the government remain operational during this time.
The FDA is assuring the public that they are still working to keep Americans safe.
In a post on X, the agency stated, “All FDA activities related to imminent threats to the safety of human life or protection of property will continue.”
Among the activities that will continue during this government shut down are:
They emphasize that surveillance of adverse event reports will continue. As well as a review of import entries and surveillance inspections of regulated facilities.
Normal regulatory testing activities, criminal enforcement work, and certain civil investigations will go on as usual.
That being said, other important aspects of the FDA’s duties will still be significantly impacted.
Several other important tasks will be stalled until funding returns to the agency.
“This includes, but is not limited to, oversight of extramural research contracts and grants, being able to process FOIA requests or public inquiries, data collection, validation, and analysis.”
Communication from the CDC to the American public will be obstructed.
This has already occurred. In fact, this morning while I was reviewing the FDA’s Active Foodborne Illness Investigations table I was met with this announcement.
“Due to the absence of either a fiscal year 2026 appropriation or a Continuing Resolution, only certain government activities will continue. While FDA will continue to conduct foodborne outbreak surveillance and response activities, the CORE Investigation Table will not be updated weekly during this time. FDA will continue to issue public warnings if there is actionable information to protect consumers from foodborne illnesses.”
A recall was published today. So that aspect of the agency communication is still operational.
However, other important work has been halted. Including:
So, how long could we see this funding freeze go on?
According to NPR, “multiweek shutdowns are relatively rare.” However, in recent decades, their occurrence has become more common.
Funding gaps, though, are not anything new.
The first recorded funding gap occurred in 1979 under President Gerald Ford. This lasted for ten days.
Unlike what is going on now (and in recent history) during these situations, federal agencies continued to operate as usual during the funding gap. The first true government shutdown occurred in 1981, under President Ronald Reagan and lasted for two whole days.
More recent government shutdowns prior to the 2018-2019 shutdown under the Trump administration for 34 was in 2018 for two days. Before that it was shut down for 16 days in 2013. In 1995 the government shut down for 21 days and then 16 days. In 1990, it was for three days.
It is difficult to tell how long this disagreement on a fiscal budget will persist. Both parties are firm in their reasons for stalling this important part of their legislative duty. Unfortunately, it is the masses that suffer.
Politics aside, it seems that provisions are made to keep important processes in motion and staying in motion to protect Americans. Unfortunately, many of those Americans sit at home and wait for news that they can return to their posts and continue to work.
In these uncertain times of a government shutdown, how concerned are you? As a consumer.
Now, more than ever, it is important to continue to stay vigilant by monitoring for recalled product, reporting foodborne illness, and keeping your family safe by washing your hands and cooking food to a safe internal temperature.
While the legislative body dukes it out on Capitol Hill, Make Food Safe will continue to research and bring to you available information on important food safety topics that you want to read about.
If you’d like to know more about food safety in the news, like “How Does the Government Shutdown Impact Food Safety?,” check out the Make Food Safe Blog. We regularly update trending topics, foodborne infections in the news, recalls, and more! Stay tuned for quality information to help keep your family safe, while The Lange Law Firm, PLLC strives to Make Food Safe!
By: Heather Van Tassell (contributing writer, non-lawyer)