The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is requesting a budget of $4.7 billion to protect and promote the public health as part of the President’s fiscal year (FY) 2014 budget. Industry user fees would fund 94 percent of the proposed budget increase, including new fees to support the landmark Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) and strengthen FDA’s ability to oversee imported food.

 “These are tight budget times, and the FDA budget request reflects this reality,” said Margaret A. Hamburg, M.D., Commissioner of Food and Drugs. “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.”

The FY 2014 request covers the period from Oct. 1, 2013 through Sept. 30. 2014. Highlights of the FDA FY 2014 budget include the following:

• Transforming Food Safety: +$295.8 million ($252.4 million in User Fees / $43.4 million in budget authority) above the FY 2012 level will bolster FDA’s efforts to build a strong, reliable food safety system. Most of these funds are needed to support implementation of the FSMA, which provides authorities and mandates for the FDA to build a modern, prevention-focused domestic and imported food safety system to protect the health of American consumers. The budget proposes a food facility registration and inspection fee and a food importer fee. The FDA is also proposing new user fees to support its cosmetic and food contact substance notification programs. The President’s budget proposes a fee to be paid by food importers that would both improve the safety of the food supply as well as ensure the smooth and predictable entry of safe foods into the United States, thus enhancing trade by domestic and overseas trading partners.

• Food and Drug Safety Inspections in China: +$10 million above the FY 2012 level will support the FDA’s capacity to detect and address the risks of products and ingredients manufactured in China and to help assure that these products do not result in harm to Americans.

For more information, please visit http://www.hhs.gov/budget/1.