The chief said the loss of critical employees overseeing the nation’s food supply made his work impossible. Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the nation’s new health secretary, has pledged to gut the division.

Jim Jones, the head of the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) food division, resigned Monday, citing the mass firings of agency staff. According to a copy of his resignation letter viewed by The Hill,

We still don’t know the full extent of layoffs at the FDA, though they are widespread. That could reduce oversight of the food supply.

Over the past several months, the company has made significant progress in safety and quality, with several interventions and innovations implemented across the organization.

In his resignation letter, obtained by Bloomberg News, Jones cited “indiscriminate” layoffs to 89 staff members, including key technical experts. “I was looking forward to working to pursue the department’s agenda of improving the health of Americans by reducing diet-related chronic disease and risks from chemicals in food,