NRA Backs Call for More FDA Funding

The National Restaurant Association today released the following statement regarding the Bush Administration's request for additional funding for the Food and Drug Administration (FDA):

"President Bush has announced that he will include an additional $275 million for FDA in the fiscal year 2009 budget request. The funding will go towards expanding FDA and implementing the Action Plan on Import Safety and the complementary Food Protection Plan, which the Association strongly supports," says Dr. Donna Garren, Vice President of Health and Safety Regulatory Affairs for the National Restaurant Association.

"We know that this request will be supported by many Members of Congress of both parties who have advocated for additional resources, and we encourage Congress to act quickly on the budget proposal to strengthen FDA. The National Restaurant Association, on behalf of the foodservice industry, supports a stronger and more effective FDA. There is a need for a critical assessment of food safety oversight in the federal government that improves consistency, accountability and federal leadership with increased resources directed to protecting food safety."

The National Restaurant Association has been working with a bipartisan group of members of Congress, and with the administration, to address industry concerns -– particularly in light of the recent Salmonella Saintpaul outbreak. The National Restaurant Association is committed to food safety and works continually toward the goal of ensuring that the food entering the kitchens of our nation's restaurants is safe. For more information, visit www.restaurant.org.