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Senators Press White House For More FDA Funding

More inspections needed as imports grow

December 7, 2007

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Congressional pressure is growing on the White House to spend more money on the Food and Drug Administration’s food safety efforts. A letter, signed by a bi-partisan group of 23 members of the Senate asks White House Budget Director Jim Nussle for a “significant increase” in the fiscal 2009 budget for the FDA’s food safety activities.

The FDA oversees the safety of 80 percent of the U.S. food supply, with the remainder coming under the jurisdiction of USDA and various state agencies. That amounts to nearly a half trillion dollars in processed foods, vegetables and fruits.

“Additional funding would allow the FDA to hire more inspectors, pursue additional compliance and enforcement actions, and improve its data management, the lawmakers said in their letter.

The letter stressed the importance of increased FDA vigilance as the amount of food imported from China and other countries continues to grow. Raw farm imports from China grew from $1.2 billion to $2.1 billion between Fiscal 2003 and Fiscal 2006.

Food industry lobbyists seconded the request, saying increased scrutiny of the food supply – particularly imports – is warranted. In Congressional testimony, Cal Dooley, CEO of the Grocery Manufacturers Association, said Congress should make the prevention of contamination the focus of the nation’s food safety system.

Dooley said Congress should require every food importer of record to implement a foreign suppler quality assurance program based upon FDA guidance and subject to FDA review. But he did not exempt domestically produced food items from closer inspection.

“We urge you to take steps to continually improve the safety of food produced in the U.S.,” Dooley told the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions. “In particular, we urge you to provide FDA authority to mandate that produce be produced following good agricultural practices.

"Rising consumption of fruits and vegetables, including ready-to-eat foods, reflects growing consumer demand for healthier food choices but also creates new food safety challenges that should be addressed through strong and enforceable produce safety standards which can be tailored to reflect differences among commodities,” Dooley said.

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