Kyle Diamantas Named Acting Deputy Commissioner for Human Foods at FDA

Florida attorney Kyle Diamantas has been named Acting Deputy Commissioner for Human Foods at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. He replaces Jim Jones, who resigned on February 17, 2025. Jones cited the Trump administration’s "indiscriminate firing" of 89 employees from FDA’s Human Foods Program as the main reason for his resignation. (More on Jones’ resignation can be found here.)

FDA’s Human Foods Program oversees all FDA activities related to food safety and nutrition. Food Chemical Safety is one of the three main areas within the Human Foods Program, along with Microbiological Food Safety and Nutrition. According to Diamantes’ bio on FDA’s website, as FDA’s top food executive, he "sets the strategic direction and operations for food policy in the U.S., while serving as a critical liaison between the agency, Department of Health and Human services, and The White House."

It remains to be seen what impact the change in personnel at the top of the Human Foods Program will have on FDA’s regulatory agenda and, in particular, on FDA’s planned post-market assessment of chemicals in food. Prior to being named Deputy Commission for Human Foods, Diamantas was a partner at a large national law firm.

Diamantas obtained his law degree from the University of Florida Levin College of Law in 2013.