More than 50 U.S. Food and Drug Administration scientists in Lakewood who expected to lose their jobs in an agency reorganization got a temporary reprieve from headquarters Wednesday.
Concerns about imported food safety, emerging contaminants and the threat of sabotage through imported goods prompted a “temporary” suspension of the reorganization, Margaret Glavin, associate commissioner for regulatory affairs at the FDA, wrote Wednesday.
Earlier this year, FDA officials said they planned to consolidate 13 laboratories across the country into six – to increase efficiency, and because several of the labs needed expensive upgrades.
The FDA testing laboratory in Lakewood’s Denver Federal Center was to shut down.
“In light of these challenges and developments, we have decided to take another look at our proposed design,” Glavin wrote in an e-mail to all regulatory affairs employees.
In Lakewood, her note went to at least 53 scientists who test salmon for listeria bacteria and search spices from India for traces of dangerous salmonella.
Members of the National Treasury Employees Union held an all-hands meeting Wednesday afternoon to make sure everyone heard the news, said Roger Farmer, a union member and FDA microbiologist.
“Everybody was clapping, just delighted,” Farmer said. “I see this as a great step forward.”
Farmer credited state and local representatives and the union for putting pressure on the FDA. Many argued that having laboratories dispersed across the country helps the agency respond quickly to contamination events.
Farmer also said he suspects recent discoveries of contaminated spinach, peanut butter and canned meat caught the attention of decision- makers.
“It’s unfortunate for people in this country, but it has shown how important we are, how crucial,” Farmer said.
Staff writer Katy Human can be reached at 303-954-1910 or khuman@denverpost.com.
