The FY 2016 budget President Barack Obama proposed to Congress includes an additional $109.5 million for the implementation of FDA’s Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA), as well as a proposal to combine all federal food agencies into one central regulatory body.

The new agency would be housed within the Department of Health and Human Systems and would coordinate with state and local health departments. Among the existing agencies that would be consolidated, the major responsibilities fall under the USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service, the FDA, and the Centers for Disease Control.

Safe Food Act of 2015

This proposal aligns with the Safe Food Act of 2015 that several state representatives introduced to Congress last month. It calls for food safety oversight to be governed by a single, independent agency, called the Food Safety Administration. 

The Safe Food Act’s new agency would handle all food safety inspections, regulation enforcement, and food labeling, which are currently handled by more than a dozen federal agencies. 

Further Details

Check out additional media coverage for more information.

• Obama proposes new agency to make Americans’ food safer
• Obama: Single agency would provide primary voice on food safety standards
• New bill calls for single, independent food agency