A Florida attorney with ties to Donald Trump Jr. has been appointed acting deputy commissioner for human foods at the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), overseeing about 80% of the U.S. food supply despite an unclear background in food safety.
Anna Betts reports for The Guardian.
In short:
- Kyle Diamantas, a lawyer and reported hunting friend of Donald Trump Jr., now leads the FDA’s Human Foods Program, controlling food safety policies, resource allocation, and enforcement.
- His appointment follows the resignation of former FDA food division chief Jim Jones, who left after the Trump administration cut 89 staffers from the division.
- Diamantas’s selection comes amid an ongoing Listeria outbreak linked to frozen supplemental shakes, which has caused 12 deaths.
Why this matters:
The FDA plays a critical role in protecting public health through food safety oversight. Leadership changes and staff cuts raise concerns about the agency’s ability to respond to foodborne illness outbreaks and regulate harmful substances in food. With Listeria infections already causing deaths, the appointment of a politically connected attorney with uncertain qualifications highlights broader worries about the expertise and independence of those in charge of food safety. Critics fear that such appointments create opportunities for political influence to undermine the agency’s independence and leave public health vulnerable at a time when food safety threats continue to evolve.
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