FDA requests additional budget to strengthen food safety

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has announced that it is requesting a budget of $4.7bn in fiscal 2014, which includes $295.8m to strengthen food safety and implement new regulations.

The proposed budget is an increase over the $4.03bn included in the current fiscal year budget after spending cuts authorised by congress.

The 2014 budget request will be used for the period from 1 October 2013 to 30 September 2014.

The FDA stated that 94% of the proposed budget increase will come from industry user fees, which will support the implementation of the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) and strengthen the agency’s ability to oversee imported food.

The FSMA provides authorities and mandates for the FDA to establish an advanced, prevention-focused domestic and imported food safety system to protect the health of American consumers.

FSMA, which was signed into law in January 2011, is designed to switch the FDA into preventive mode rather than its traditional reactive mode of responding after an outbreak of food-borne illnesses.

Under the new regulation, the FDA will be able to impose penalties on US companies that fail to monitor food products they import from other countries.

The budget proposes a food facility registration and inspection fee and a food importer fee, in addition to new user fees to support the FDA’s cosmetic and food contact substance notification programmes.

It also proposes a fee to be paid by food importers that is expected to strengthen the safety of food supply and ensure the smooth and predictable entry of safe foods into the US, thus strengthening trade by domestic and overseas trading partners.

FDA Commissioner of Food and Drugs Margaret Hamburg said, "Our budget increases are targeted to strategic areas that will benefit patients and consumers and overall strengthen our economy."

"Through the good work of the FDA, Americans will receive life-saving medicines approved as fast as or faster than anywhere in the world, confidence in the medical products they rely on daily, and a food supply that is among the safest in the world," Hamburg added.

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Image: The proposed budget will support the implementation of new regulations and strengthen the FDA’s ability to oversee imported food. Photo courtesy of US FDA.