WASHINGTON — The Food and Drug Administration is asking Congress for $4.9 billion to implement the Food Safety and Modernization Act (F.S.M.A.). The request is part of President Barack Obama's fiscal 2016 budget.
The overall budget request includes $147.7 million for initiatives tied to implement the F.S.M.A. and management of medical product issues, the agency reported.
Specifically, more than $109.5 million will allow the F.D.A. to implement fundamental requirements for domestic food and feed safety; acquire the technical staffing and training needed to support the law; provide the appropriate guidance to industry about the changes the law will bring; strengthen the role of the states in helping to ensure the safety of the country’s food supply; and build and implement a new import safety system.
Another $5 million would help fulfill the agency's staffing needs, which the F.D.A. said must increase by 70% by fiscal 2016.
The F.S.M.A. gives the F.D.A. increased regulatory responsibilities, the agency said. Additionally, the F.D.A.’s scope has expanded to include regulation of “an ever-increasing number of food and medical products” from around the world.
“This budget accurately reflects the challenges F.D.A. faces in a global regulatory environment, which is becoming increasingly complex and scientifically demanding,” said Margaret Hamburg, F.D.A. commissioner. “As F.D.A.’s mission expands on several fronts — from the regulation of tobacco products to supporting the development of personalized medicine to ushering in a new era of food safety — we must possess the resources to run a modern agency that fosters innovation and ensures the safest possible drug and food supply for the American people.”
