Difficult Choices Ahead If FSMA Does Not Acquire Proper Funding
In order for the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) to be successful, food safety leaders say it must obtain sufficient funding as determined by Congress.
“The request that we made for this fiscal year for FSMA implementation, from my perspective, is absolutely critical to its success,” says Stephen Ostroff, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) acting commissioner. Without enough money, he warns that the agency will have to make “some incredibly difficult choices.”
The agency is already slated for massive budget increases for fiscal year 2016. President Barack Obama’s budget request has a $109.5 million spending increase set aside for the FDA. Also, $41.5 million and $45 million increases have been planned by the House and Senate Appropriations committees, respectively, for the FDA’s many food safety initiatives.
Additional reading: Senators, Food Industry Groups Call for More FSMA Funding
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