The food safety item in the federal budget would go a long way in “bringing clarity and certainty” to the Food and Drug Administration's human food program.
House and Senate spending leaders find themselves influenced by just such a lobbying effort by about 21 consumer and industry groups, as well as state and local food safety authorities.
In a letter to House and Senate appropriations leaders, food safety item advocates urged elected officials to “streamline operations and We are calling on the government to better fulfill its mission of food safety protection.”
The letter calls for food safety items to be added to FDA's fiscal year 2025 budget. In this way, Congress can help modernize human food programs.
Currently, the FDA's budget calls for $34 million in cuts to state and local programs, which would reduce them to $83 million from the current level of more than $117 million. The cuts would “destroy” state and local programs.
The signatories to this letter are representatives from the American Frozen Foods Institute (AFFI). American Association of Feed Control Officials (AAFCO); Association of Food and Drug Officials (AFDO). Association of Public Health Laboratories (APHL); Association of State and Territorial Health Officials (ASTHO); Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI); Council for Food Protection (CFP); Consumer Brands Association (CBA); Consumer Federation of America. Consumer Reports; FMI – Food Industry Association, George Washington University. Milken Institute School of Public Health, International Dairy Products Association (IDFA), International Fresh Produce Association (IFPA), and Interstate Shellfish Sanitation Conference (ISSC). National Interstate Milk Shipping Association (NASDA); National Interstate Milk Shipping Council (NCIMS); National Environmental Health Association (NEHA); Pet Food Research Institute; Stop Foodborne Disease and Western Producers.
Bipartisan spending leaders were asked to leverage the current restructuring of the FDA human food program to streamline operations and better fulfill its mission of protecting food safety. The group said many of the proposed changes would strengthen FDA's ability to ensure the safety of the food supply, while Congress would modernize the human food program by bringing clarity and certainty to FDA's budget. I believe I can contribute.
The letter further notes that although state and local food agencies play an important role, they often lack the budget certainty necessary to operate effectively and therefore do not have adequate funding. He explained that hiring and retaining sufficient numbers of trained staff is becoming a challenge.
Although increased funding provided since the passage of the Food Safety Modernization Act has greatly improved the ability of state and local agencies to fulfill their food safety missions, FDA is shifting funding for state and local agencies toward other priorities. It was often used to pursue a person's actions, with little or no warning. to affected government agencies.
Additionally, the group believes that “consistent and predictable funding mechanisms for state and local programs are needed.” Therefore, to ensure that state and local programs have the budget certainty they need to do their jobs, FDA's appropriations include sections detailing specific funding for state and local food safety issues. asked to be included. ”
The full text of the letter to House and Senate appropriations leaders can be found below.
Senate Letter https://www.afdo.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/May-2024-State-and-Local-Funding-Letter-Senate.pdf
House Letter https://www.afdo.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/May-2024-State-and-Local-Funding-Letter-House.pdf
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