Food Safety

The Senate Appropriations Committee unanimously advanced a fiscal 2018 FDA funding bill out of committee Thursday (July 20) that adds $1 million in discretionary funding for FDA over the fiscal 2017 enacted level, totaling $2.8 billion, and adds $60 million in additional funding for the agency to implement the 21st Century Cures Act.

FDA announced Thursday (June 29) a 30-day extension of the comment period for the interim final rule on menu labeling in response to the National Restaurant Association (NRA), which asked for more time to respond to what they say are complex technical issues in the regulation.

FDA on Tuesday (June 13) announced it will delay the deadline for food companies to start using the new nutrition facts label after industry raised concerns about being able to comply by the July 26, 2018 date.

Several weeks after the Trump administration delayed a nationwide menu labeling rule, the House Energy & Commerce health subcommittee announced it will hold a hearing Friday (June 9) to consider Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers' (R-WA) nutrition bill that would alter disclosure requirements for certain food establishments and limit liability for noncompliance with labeling requirements.

President Donald Trump's fiscal 2018 budget proposal would cut FDA's human drug program by $307 million in discretionary budget authority, its medical device program by $182 million, its biologics program by $119 million and its food program by $70 million, resulting in cuts to the agency's workforce and programs even if Congress were to go along with Trump's request to double user fees.

President Donald Trump's fiscal 2018 budget proposes cutting FDA's discretionary budget authority by $854 million -- a shortfall that Trump says would be made up if lawmakers agree to his request to double user fees, despite the fact lawmakers on both sides of the aisle have to date rejected that proposal.

FDA officially stood up Monday (May 15) an agency-wide plan to move the agency's Office of Regulatory Affairs (ORA) from a geographic-based model to one focused on product types, explained a Monday memo from FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb to agency staff, obtained by Inside Health Policy.

Congressional leaders are pushing a tentative bipartisan fiscal 2017 funding agreement that would give FDA $39 million more than its fiscal 2016 enacted level.

The Trump administration plans to delay implementation of the nationwide menu labeling rule that was set to go into effect May 5, drawing harsh criticism from the top Democrats.