Multiple infant formula brands have been recalled recently due to bacterial contamination, raising concerns about the Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) capacity to manage these health threats effectively. Experts attribute part of the FDA's challenges to staff cuts during the Trump administration.

In March 2026, the FDA launched Operation Stork Speed, aimed at expanding safe, reliable, and nutritious infant formula options for American families. However, Tom Brenna, a pediatric and food science expert involved with the initiative, stated in an email to the Guardian that there has been no progress on the operation since summer 2025.

Two months after the launch, then-FDA commissioner Martin Makary testified to Congress that the agency had lost approximately 3,100 employees due to reorganization and cuts under the Trump administration. Makary left the FDA that same month.

Sarah Mayne, former director of the FDA’s center for food safety and applied nutrition and now a Yale public health professor, commented, “Well, now, the FDA is of course doing less with less.”

During a recent recall related to ByHeart, states conducted nearly 2,000 recall checks in the first week, while the FDA performed only 21, according to congressional testimony from Steven Mandernach, executive director of the Association of Food and Drug Officials.

Nara Organics reported that their facility underwent a routine FDA audit in May 2026, with the FDA noting three observations to be addressed through voluntary corrective actions and not recommending a pause in production.

A ByHeart spokesperson said the company is implementing new safety measures and only learned of a shared milk powder supplier after the FDA's June 26 update. The FDA has indicated the root cause investigation is now focusing on third-party ingredients.

An FDA spokesperson maintains that Operation Stork Speed is continuing as planned.

Sources