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FDA Requests $4 Billion to Transform Food Safety – Not Really  (no comments)

Posted: Tuesday, February 2nd, 2010

By David Acheson
Following release of the President’s FY2011 budget yesterday there has been a flurry of headlines that would indicate that FDA has requested approximately $4 billion to transform food safety. This is not an accurate reflection of what is actually in the request. In actuality the total request for FDA for FY 2011 is $4.031 billion of which just $1.37 billion is for the foods programs.

However it is not even as good as $1.37 billion for the foods programs. Of that $1.37 billion, just a little over $1 billion is actually going to the food programs in the Centers, the Field and in the Office of Commissioner; the rest is used for rent.

Now, if we look more closely at the new budget request, at first glance one would see that FDA has asked for an increase over FY2010 appropriations of $318 million – a pretty impressive request over the FY2010 appropriations. However of that $318 million, $240 million (75%) will come from various types of user fees that FDA does not currently have the authority to gather.

Where does this all leave FDA to oversee 80% of the food supply for approximately 300 million U.S. consumers? It leaves the FDA with a budget request to Congress of just under $80 million of new money to transform food safety – a far cry from $4 billion.