FDA Calls for Funding Boost To Enforce Food Safety Law
FDA officials say that budget cuts could negatively affect their ability to implement the Food Safety Modernization Act (HR 2751), which was enacted in January. The law authorizes increased government authority and involvement in food-related recalls and inspections of processing plants. The Congressional Budget Office estimates that FDA will need hundreds of millions of dollars to implement the law, but the agency is unlikely to receive the additional funds. FDA officials say that without additional funds, it will not be able to conduct inspections of foreign food required by the law and will struggle to increase domestic inspections.
- "On Food Safety, a Long List but Little Money" (Neuman, New York Times, 8/22).