Food Processors Call for Budget Targeting

April 12, 2001

The National Food Processors Association (NFPA) strongly supports "adequate funding" for effective food safety programs by the Food and Drug Administration and the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) but advocates setting priorities in research, risk assessment, education and surveillance. John Cady, NFPA president and CEO, said that would ensure that FDA's "limited resources will be targeted toward reducing risk associated with foodborne illness" Cady also noted that NFPA supports adequate resources for FSIS, but added that further reforms are needed at the agency to ensure that "unnecessary layers of regulation are promptly removed."

NFPA testified on the Bush Administration's fiscal 2002 budget proposal to the Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural Development, and Related Agencies of the House Committee on Appropriations, which oversees the budget for both FDA and FSIS.

Cady noted the budget proposes new user fees, "more appropriately described as 'regulatory taxes,' that require food companies to pay for the privilege of being regulated. Although NFPA applauds the administration for not proposing new user fees for FSIS, the FY 2002 request does include $13.4 million in new, unauthorized user fees. This includes $8.1 million for import inspections and $5.3 million for export certifications, both of which are unauthorized under current statute."

He said NFPA "appreciates that the (appropriations) committee repeatedly has rejected user fee proposals in past administration budget requests and recommends again that funding for food safety and regulatory programs should be borne through appropriated funds."

While several federal agencies have responsibility for food safety and quality programs, FDA and FSIS share the primary responsibility for food regulation. Cady said, "NFPA, on behalf of our members, is focusing on increasing the resources and productivity of these authorities. This year, NFPA has launched a long-term effort, along with other leading food trade associations, to seek additional funding for FDA's Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition (CFSAN) which, in real dollars, has had a steadily declining budget since 1973."