Health Law

FDA Gets 19 Percent Increase In Obama's First Budget

By Marler Clark

 With nearly equal increases on both the food and drug side of its business, the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) is getting a 19 percent increase in its budget in 2010.

That at least is President Obama's recommendation to Congress, which controls the federal purse strings.

FDA's annual budget would rise to $3.2 billion per the President's request, which is found in his 1,360-page budget submission to Congress for total spending of 3.55 trillion dollars.   A total of 1.38 trillion of that spending will be on the federal government's credit card.

A boost of $259.3 million will to 'Protecting America's Food Supply.'  The new money will be focused on preventing both intentional and unintentional food contamination. 

FDA will collect an additional $94.4 million in new user fees for registering and inspecting food facilities, issuing food and feed export certificates, and for re-inspections of facilities that do not meet FDA safety standards.

The food supply initiative will be directed at both foreign and domestic sources of ingredients, components, and finished products at 'all points in the supply chain, including their eventual use by the American public.'

On the drug side, FDA will get an additional $245.5 million through both increases in some user fees and a larger contribution from taxpayers.  Safer medical devices and drug imports will be the gainers.

The FY 2010 request covers the period of Oct. 1, 2009 through Sept. 30, 2010.

Full post as published by Food Poison Blog on May 07, 2009 (boomark / email).