WASHINGTON The U.S. Food and Drug Administration said it has requested a 5-percent increase in fiscal 2008 funding in part to bolster the nation’s food-safety defenses.
The agency has asked for a $10.6 million increase in its budget specifically for combatting food-borne illnesses. The money would be used to develop better ways to detect an outbreak and trace it to its source, the FDA said in a statement. In comparison, it requested $7.2 million for improving safeguards on medical devices and $5.6 million for conducting more reviews of generic drugs.
The FDA is asking for nearly $2.1 billion in total spending for the fiscal year, which extends from Oct. 1, 2007 through Sept. 30, 2008.