Deputy commissioner of FDA, Jim Jones, resigns from agency

The deputy commissioner of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Jim Jones, resigned on Monday, February 17. According to the Wall Street Journal (WSJ), Jones resigned due to the firing of 89 staff members, which he called “indiscriminate.” In a letter reportedly written by Jones, he is quoted by WSJ as saying, “It has been increasingly clear that with the Trump administration’s disdain for the very people necessary to implement your agenda... it would have been fruitless for me to continue in this role.”

According to WSJ, the fired staff included those with expertise in infant formula safety and 10 workers hired to review potentially unsafe food ingredients. Jones was in charge of overseeing the reorganization of the Human Foods Program, which combines the Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition (CFSAN), the Office of Food Policy and Response (OFPR), and some functions of the Office of Regulatory Affairs (ORA). At the recent Convergence ’24 conference, Jones was a keynote speaker and emphasized the new efficiencies the new HFP would afford.

In reaction to the resignation, the Council for Responsible Nutrition (CRN; Washington, D.C.) issued the following statement: “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.”