In a candid interview with STAT, Jones stated: “I, personally, and the organization were very excited about the agenda that Secretary Kennedy has articulated for foods, in particular around nutrition and food chemical safety. But so far, all of the actions we’re seeing from this administration—not just the rhetoric, which is very … dismissive would be the nicest thing to say about what they’ve said about federal employees—but also their actions.
“I’m not sure if it’s a lack of understanding of how things get done, or it’s that there’s really no seriousness about what they want to get done. I don’t know. But I didn’t want to spend the next six months of my career on activities that are fundamentally about dismantling an organization, as opposed to working on the stated agenda,” Jones told STAT.
Commenting on the news, the Council for Responsible Nutrition (CRN) stated that 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,” added the CRN statement. “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.”
Decades of service at EPA before joining FDA
For more than 30 years, Jones has held various positions in the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), stakeholder community and private industry around issues related to chemical safety and sustainability in the environment. His work focused on lessening the impact that chemicals and pollution have on the U.S. food supply. At the EPA, he was a principal architect of the 2016 overhaul of the Toxic Substances Control Act, the first update of that statute in more than 40 years.
Jones became the first deputy commissioner for human foods on Sept. 24, 2023, leading the agency’s unified Human Foods Program.