Food Safety Advocates Concerned by Proposed FDA Budget Cuts

Members of the food safety advocacy community are not enamored of cuts to the budget of the FDA's Office of Foods and the food safety capabilities recommended by the House appropriations subcommittee on agriculture. An $87 million cut is proposed for FY 12 compared to FY 11 and a $205 million cut compared to President Obama's FY 12 budget request.

• "Food safety advocates decry FDA cuts" is an article by Lyndsey Layton in the Post Politics blog on The Washington Post web site and dated May 30.

The full House Appropriations Committee did in fact approve the FY 12 Agriculture bill yesterday. For details see

• "Appropriations Committee approves Fiscal Year 2012 Agriculture bill" -- a press release on the web site of the House Appropriations Committee.

Note that the bill as approved included, 'An amendment to prohibit funds to the FDA for rule-making activities or guidance unless the Secretary of Agriculture bases decisions on "hard science" and determines that the benefit of the rule or guidance justifies the action.'