Safety | Judiciary.org

Trump-ordered MAHA report urges stricter oversight of food safety and additives

The Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) Commission Report addresses food safety and its impact on chronic childhood illnesses in the United States.

Commissioned by President Donald Trump via executive order on Feb.13, the 14-member panel, chaired by Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., includes federal officials such as the USDA secretary and FDA commissioner. The report links food additives, pesticides and ultra-processed foods to conditions like obesity, diabetes and ADHD, urging stricter oversight and a shift to … Read the rest

Civil Law

Curiosity may kill the cat, but is indispensable for workplace health and safety

“Curiosity killed the cat” is a proverb “used to warn of the dangers of unnecessary investigation or experimentation” (Wikipedia) or is an idiom “said to warn someone not to ask too many questions about something” (Cambridge online dictionary). Yet for the modern officer, curiosity is a must, as it aligns with their personal WHS due diligence obligation.

Work health and safety (WHS) legislation, case law developments and many a published article on corporate governance (or lack thereof), confirm that in … Read the rest

Civil Law

Tariffs threaten safety of imported specialty foods

New U.S. tariffs, particularly on Chinese imports like soy sauce, are driving up costs at specialty stores, raising fears that smaller importers could face pressures challenging their ability to maintain safety standards.

Surprise policy shifts have added uncertainty to the trade landscape.

On April 9, 2025, the Trump Administration paused its steep “reciprocal” tariffs on countries like Vietnam, Thailand, and the Philippines for 90 days, leaving a baseline 10 percent tariff on most imports from these nations. However, tariffs on … Read the rest

Civil Law

FDA puts food safety rule on hold

The FDA is delaying enforcement of the Food Traceability Rule, which has been in the works for 14 years, by another 30 months.

In an announcement on March 20, the Food and Drug Administration said it intends to publish a proposed rule “at a later time.” The rule has already been published and approved and was set to go into effect Jan. 1, 2026. The rule was mandated by the Food Safety Modernization Act, which Congress approved in 2010.

The … Read the rest

Civil Law

Food safety leaders express concerns about recent cuts in FDA workforce

— OPINION —

The Department of Government Efficiency has cut staff at the Food Administration, including empoyees in food safety roles.

Following the cuts, Deputy Commissioner for Human Foods Jim Jones resigned his post citing the cuts as being indiscriminate and endangering the lives of the American public.

Before the layoffs, the FDA had 18,000 employees across all 50 states. That number includes staff responsible for reporting on food recalls and the investigation of foodborne illness outbreaks.

Today we hear … Read the rest

Civil Law

FSA voices concern about lack of local authority resources for food safety

The Food Standards Agency (FSA) has expressed concern about the ability of local authorities to meet inspection targets and the impact this could have on standards.

Comments were made in written evidence submitted as part of an inquiry looking at whether the local government finance system in England is fit for purpose.

The FSA said it is concerned that local food teams do not have sustainable funding to deliver official controls in line with what the current regulatory regime requires. … Read the rest

Civil Law

Firing of thousands of health agency employees will undermine food safety

— OPINION —

The cuts to the Department of Health and Human Services today make a mockery of the “Make America Healthy Again” slogan by arbitrarily decimating new staff in key public health agencies who might actually implement the slogan.

The firings impact staff across HHS and affect thousands of people on “probationary” status.

The mass firings will undermine the work of two of the agencies that solve and prevent foodborne outbreaks, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the … Read the rest

Supreme Court

Supreme Court limits “safety valve” in federal sentencing law

Justice Elena Kagan’s opinion for a sharply divided court in Pulsifer v. United States resolves an ambiguity in the provisions added to federal sentencing law in the First Step Act of 2018, coming down firmly on the side of the government. The problem involves how to read a “safety valve” in federal criminal sentencing laws, which allows defendants to avoid the often lengthy mandatory minimum sentences scattered throughout the federal criminal code. The safety valve requires the defendant to … Read the rest