Did you know the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) is one of the agency’s effected by the government shutdown? It’s true! 41% of the 17,000 FDA employees are furloughed, so they needed to halt inspections on  domestic food! They just recalled 150 furloughed workers to resume inspections (without pay) on “high risk foods” like seafood and dairy products, while still managing to inspect products being imported.  Inspections are also falling behind at the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Consumer Product Safety Commission due to the furloughs. The shutdown is also causing delays for the inspections that are taking place, so products aren’t as fresh by the time they make it to the market. The whole situation is a mess! It’s bad for everyone, and it needs to end soon! In the meantime, be extra mindful of your food choices!