FDA plans major spending increase to combat food poisoning

The Food and Drug Administration wants to spend 33 percent more than it did in 2010 to better combat food poisoning and the spread of food-borne illness.

According to a release from the regulatory agency, the $4.3 billion request of the 2012 budget covers the period starting Oct. 1, 2011.

“FDA protects and promotes the health of all Americans through every stage of life,” said Margaret A. Hamburg, M.D., commissioner of food and drugs. “The breadth of this mandate means that FDA responsibilities continue to grow. The new budget contains new resources so that FDA can fulfill its growing responsibilities to the American public.”

The FDA outline four major initiatives with the proposed spending increase, including the implementation of the recently passed Food Safety Modernization Act. With $324 million, regulators plan to implement more food safety prevention methods to reduce the spread of food-borne bacteria.

Federal food safety officials also plan to utilize more local and state colleagues in their fight against companies who habitually break food safety laws.

The Advancing Medical Countermeasures Initiative will see about $70 million of the budgeted money. This moeny will help the FDA support the development of medical countermeasures in the event of a national security threat, such as a chemical, biological, radiological or nuclear attacks and pandemic outbreaks.

The Protecting Patients Initiative plans to develop a pathway for approving biosimilars, biological drugs shown to be similar to an FDA-approved reference biological product. Regulators believe biosimilars will help save the country significantly on health care costs.

The Regulatory Science and Facilities Initiative plans to spend $49 million aiding all facets of the FDA with upgrades in technology.