MALVERN, Iowa (KMTV) – "If they are going to cut back on government employees then it will affect people that are watching the safety of your food," Tom Mulholland, owner of Mulholland Grocery said.
- 3,500 employees were cut from the FDA
- The FDA is responsible for regulating 80% of the US food supply.
- Tom Mulholland raises concerns on how this will impact food safety
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
"If they are going to cut back on government employees then it will affect people that are watching the safety of your food. Even if they cut back just a few, it will mean something,” Tom Mulholland, owner of Mulholland Grocery said.
Mulholland said he’s concerned about food safety oversight after cuts to the Food and Drug Administration.
"Anything along the food chain it affects,” he said
3,500 full-time FDA workers and 89 staffers from the Human Foods Program were among those cut from the DHHS.
Mulholland believes this downsizing could leave food safety inspections understaffed, making it easier for food regulations to be followed.
"When you are dealing with people that don't face the customers, don't face the public, they don’t care and unfortunately too many people are going to feel that way and are going to cut the corners when there isn't someone watching over them",” Mulholland said.
The FDA is responsible for regulating 80% of the US food supply.
Nebraska and Iowa rely on FDA support for inspections.
Some in the industry fear that the slash to the budget could have an impact on state food safety programs, leading to delays in getting contaminated products off shelves.
According to Nancy Urbanec with Nebraska Extension neighbors should always be practicing basic food safety and watching where they get their food.
“As long as you're buying from an approved vendor, like the grocery store, a lot of urban farmers, farmers markets, they are really conscientious about making sure your food is coming to you as safely as possible,” Urbanic said.
And as these cuts continue, neighbors should be aware of where their food is coming from according to Mulholland.
"I think one of the best ways to ensure food safety is to deal with people you trust and know where you are buying your food,” he said.
