SENATE BILL COULD PROVIDE EXTRA $50 MILLION FDA FUNDING

The Senate Appropriations Committee has approved an extra $50 million of funding for the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 2012.

The Committee approved a provision of $2.5 billion of funding for the FDA in 2012, compared to $2.45 billion in 2011, while US Department of Agriculture funding, which includes funds for inspecting meat and poultry facilities, remained flat.

The Senate Committee’s decision to increase FDA funding is in opposition to the House committee’s stance. In May, House Republicans voted to slash FDA funding by $285m in 2012, to a level 11.5% lower than 2011.

The FDA has estimated the cost of implementing the Food Safety Modernization Act, which was signed into law in January, at $1.4 billion over five years, but funding for the bill has been an area of particular controversy.