FDA Food Safety Budget Hardly Bigger

President Bush's record $3 trillion budget includes very little to improve food safety programs at the Food and Drug Administration, critics say.

A 6.8% increase in the food safety budget, to $662 million, will be consumed largely by pay raises and inflation, according to USA Today.

That, despite a year in which food safety scandals dominated headlines for months at a time. The FDA is responsible for inspecting about 80% of the U.S. food supply, including the rapidly rising amount imported from other countries. It has acknowledged an inability to police the food supply adequately, and launched an inter-agency federal effort to improve oversight.

Still, critics believe one of the fundamental needs is more staff and technology to monitor the food – and those pricey line items aren't filled out in the budget. Congress, which has held numerous hearings and been highly critical of the FDA, may well vote to increase funding – but only if it can find the money.

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