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Food Safety News

Breaking news for everyone's consumption

FY 2016 federal budget

Amendment to Increase FSMA Funding Fails in Committee

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The Senate Appropriations Committee approved the agriculture appropriations bill for fiscal year 2016 on Thursday after discussing a handful of amendments. Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL) proposed an amendment to increase the funding allocated for implementation of the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA), but it was ultimately voted down. This came after referencing the case of Blue Bell… Continue Reading

Senate Ag Appropriations Bill Heads to Full Committee

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The Senate’s FY 2016 agriculture appropriations bill has received subcommittee approval and will be considered by the full appropriations committee on Thursday. The bill includes a $45-million increase for the Food and Drug Administration’s food safety activities. Although $3.5 million more than the House allocation, the increase is still less than half of the $109.5-million increase… Continue Reading

Food Safety Plays Minimal Role in House Appropriations Markup

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Food safety was not a significant part of discussions Wednesday during the House Appropriations Committee markup of the agriculture funding bill. Nutrition policies, the Food for Peace program and FDA pre-market review of e-cigarettes were some of the major topics of debate. Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) praised the inclusion of language in the Manager’s Amendment… Continue Reading

House Appropriations Gives FSMA $41.5-Million Increase

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The House Appropriations Committee has allocated a $41.5-million increase for the Food and Drug Administration’s food safety activities for fiscal year 2016, but it’s less than half of what President Obama’s budget requested. Agriculture Subcommittee Chairman Robert Aderholt (R-AL) said Thursday in his opening remarks before the subcommittee’s markup of the draft appropriations bill that the increase is “to help… Continue Reading

Groups Want Increased Funding to Support CDC’s PulseNet Database

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As Congress works to prepare its appropriations bills for fiscal year 2016, nine health and consumer groups are requesting that extra funding be allocated for the national database used to track foodborne illness outbreaks. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s PulseNet is a national network of public health and food regulatory agency laboratories that… Continue Reading

Savings From a Single Food Safety Agency Appeal to Some House Republicans

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Some House Republicans appear to be considering proposals for a single food safety agency. In January, Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) and Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL) introduced bills to establish such an agency independent of any federal department. In his budget proposal for fiscal year 2016, President Obama proposed the consolidation of the Agriculture Department’s Food Safety… Continue Reading

White House Wants to Nearly Double Funding for Antibiotic Resistance Fight

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President Obama wants to nearly double — to more than $1.2 billion — federal funding for combating and preventing antibiotic resistance. The administration is expected to release its full 2016 budget proposal next week, but a fact sheet released Tuesday provided a blueprint for investments in fighting antibiotic resistance — an issue it referred to… Continue Reading