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On April 21, The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) suspended its quality control program for testing milk and other diary products.
The FDA has also suspended existing and developing programs that ensured accurate testing for bird flu in milk and cheese, as well as pathogens, like the parasite Cyclospora, in other food products, Reuters reported.
This suspension is due to large-scale staff reductions across agencies within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), particularly within the FDA and its Division of Dairy Safety.
What happens now that the FDA has suspended quality control testing for milk?
The FDA’s Division of Dairy Safety said that the agency was suspending its proficiency testing program for Grade A raw milk and finished products, Reuters reported.
While the programs are currently suspended, the Food Emergency Response Network Proficiency Testing Program is currently in the process of transferring to another lab in order for the program to continue, USA Today reported.
The program is being transferred to another lab because the FDA’s Moffett Center Proficiency Testing Laboratory, which provided crucial support for the program, is no longer able to support the program, reported Reuters.
Cows take an 8-minute ride on one of two 80-stall milking parlors at Rosendale Dairy in Pickett, Wisconsin. Two five-person crews milk nearly 9,000 cows three times a day – filling over 14 semi-tankers each day. The Fond du Lac County operation is considered the largest dairy farm in Wisconsin.
Additionally, the FDA has now begun hiring contractors in order to replace some of the fired workers, however, the Trump administration has proposed cutting around $40 billion dollars from the agency, Reuters reported.
The FDA may have suspended its own testing for the time being, but state and federal labs will continue to analyze food samples.
Dairy production in Louisiana
The most common dairy cow in Louisiana is the Holstein, which is black and white, and most dairy farms are found in the Southeast part of the state, within Tangipahoa, Washington and St. Helena parishes, according to Louisiana Ag in the Classroom.
Majority of the milk produced from cows in Louisiana goes into fluid milk and ice cream, while some is used for other products such as cheese, yogurt and sour cream.
After milk is collected, it is pasteurized and homogenized before it’s sold. There are also a number of facilities and laboratories in Louisiana dedicated to testing and processing milk.
Presley Bo Tyler is a reporter for the Louisiana Deep South Connect Team for Gannett/USA Today. Find her on X @PresleyTyler02 and email at PTyler@Gannett.com
This article originally appeared on Shreveport Times: Did the FDA suspend its dairy quality testing program? What to know
