FDA requests more than $4 billion for safety

On February 1st, the FDA stated that it is requesting $4.03 billion to promote and protect public health as part of President Obama’s fiscal 2011 budget. The request represents a 23% increase over the current $3.28 billion budget and would include an increase of $318.3 million related to improving food safety.

“The FY 2011 resources will strengthen our ability to act as a strong and smart regulator, protecting Americans through every stage of life, many times each day,” said Margaret Hamburg, commissioner of the FDA “This budget supports the ability for patients and families to realize the benefits of science that are yielding revolutionary advances in the life and biomedical sciences.”

The FDA said this budget requests shows its “resolve to transform food safety practices, improve medical product safety, protect patients and modernize FDA regulatory science to advance public health.”

As part of the Transforming Food Safety initiative, the FDA said it plans to set standards for safety, expand laboratory capacity, pilot track and trace technology, strengthen its import safety program, improve data collection and risk analysis and begin to establish an integrated national food safety system with strengthened inspection and response capacity.

What do you think? Is the proposed budget too much or right on target?