Uninspected: The Hidden Costs of Dismantling America's Food Safety Net

In recent months, significant workforce reductions within the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) have raised concerns about the strength of the nation's food safety infrastructure. With over 15,000 USDA employees and approximately 20,000 HHS staff members no longer in place, critical programs and inspections have been disrupted. As federal oversight diminishes, the responsibility for ensuring food safety increasingly falls on manufacturers and distributors, who must uphold rigorous third-party certifications to maintain trust and quality across the supply chain.

The Erosion of Federal Oversight

The USDA and HHS have experienced unprecedented staffing cuts, leading to the suspension of essential programs. The FDA halted its milk testing program for avian flu due to staff shortages, and the CDC’s Environmental Health division, a key player in outbreak management, has been significantly downsized. These reductions directly affect the government’s ability to detect, respond to, and prevent foodborne illnesses. State-level health departments, which rely heavily on federal guidance and funding, are also seeing their capacity strained. The removal of these guardrails, often without clear public explanation or replacement, is creating uncertainty across the entire food system.

Relying on Third-Party Certifications

In the absence of robust federal oversight, third-party certifications have become the operational backbone for ensuring food safety and quality control. Programs such as Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP), Good Agricultural Practices (GAP), and Safe Quality Food (SQF) provide standardized protocols for how food is produced, handled, and distributed. These systems were originally designed to support, not replace, government inspection. But now, in light of reduced public sector capacity, they are carrying much of the burden.

Major retailers, including Trader Joes, Amazon, Walmart, and Kroger, require their suppliers to maintain current food safety audits and certifications. These programs are not optional checkmarks; they are critical to keeping food on shelves and preventing costly recalls or consumer health issues. The SQF program in particular, is recognized internationally and aligns with Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) standards, serving as a way to reinforce risk-based preventative controls in the private sector.

Until federal protections are restored or restructured, these third-party safety systems are the most reliable form of accountability in the U.S. food supply chain. They provide the stopgap infrastructure that keeps production aligned with essential safety measures while policymakers and the public reckon with what government oversight will look like in the years ahead. Whether driven by compliance or customer demands, these protections, along with additional third-party certifications like Certified Organic, Regenerative Organic Certified, Gluten-Free, and others, are doing the heavy lifting in a system where the traditional guardrails have been removed with little public clarity on what replaces them. These layered standards are not a luxury. They are a necessity for holding the line on food safety, sourcing integrity, and consumer trust during a time of regulatory uncertainty.

Consumer Trust and Transparency

With federal oversight in flux, many consumers are left wondering who they can trust to ensure the safety, quality, and sourcing of the food they buy. Confidence in government agencies is wavering, not necessarily because of a specific outbreak, but because entire systems are being dismantled without a clear replacement. In times like this, brands, manufacturers, and retailers must step into a more visible leadership role.

Reassurance does not require perfection. It requires communication. Even well-established certifications like USDA Organic, Regenerative Organic Certified, and Gluten-Free only carry meaning if customers understand what they represent and why a company chooses to uphold them. Now is the time for companies to go beyond labels and actively demonstrate their commitments.

Here are some simple but effective ways food businesses can reinforce consumer trust:

1. Update your website. Create or refresh a dedicated page explaining your quality, sourcing, and safety practices. Link to your certifications and audits. Include the names of the third-party certifiers you work with and what they evaluate.

2. Use QR codes on packaging or in-store displays. These can link directly to sourcing stories, ingredient transparency, value statements, or even short videos that explain your manufacturing practices.

3. Use social media for transparency, not just marketing. Share updates on how your team is staying accountable. Talk openly about third-party audits, your internal standards, and why you are doubling down on traceability and safe production, even without federal mandates.

4. Train your customer service and in-store teams. Make sure your staff knows how to answer questions about food safety and values. Equip them with talking points or printed materials that highlight your practices.

5. Be proactive, not reactive. Do not wait for a crisis or recall. Transparency is a strategic advantage, especially in a market where fear and uncertainty are real but not always visible.

Conclusion

We are in a moment where the usual safety nets are fraying. The federal teams and systems that once helped ensure our food was safe, fairly sourced, and responsibly produced are being quietly dismantled. The full impact of those changes on our health, our supply chains, and the cost of food is still unfolding.

But the food system does not hit pause while we wait to find out. Whether you are someone buying groceries for your family or running a food business, trust now depends on action, not assumption.

For companies, that means stepping up and showing what you are doing. Not because you are required to, but because your customers and your long-term viability depend on it. Certifications like GMP, GAP, SQF, Organic, and Regenerative Organic are doing more than ever before. But without context, they are just labels. It is the communication around them, the choices you make visible, that builds real credibility.

And for consumers, it means asking more questions. Looking beyond the buzzwords. Choosing to support the companies that are making the effort to be transparent in a time when they do not have to be.

We may not have clear answers yet about what protections will hold in the future. But in the meantime, we do have tools. We have standards. And most importantly, we have the ability to communicate clearly and consistently about what matters. That is where trust starts, and how we keep the food system moving forward, even in uncertain times.

Written by Merril Gilbert for NextGen Purpose

Merril Gilbert helps founders make the right decisions to move their businesses forward. As CEO of Curious Futures and creator of FoundHer Forward, she works with entrepreneurs, especially women who are scaling, securing funding, or navigating key transitions. With 25 years of operational experience in CPG, food systems, health, and wellness, Merril combines strategic insight with a deep understanding of how emerging technology and economic shifts shape business success. She is committed to strengthening the future of food as a foundation for a healthier world.