Cash injection for food security

The €435 billon US food industry has welcomed a move by the Bush administration to inject more cash into food security.

Secretary of Health and Human Services Tommy Thompson said this week that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) will receive $5 million to support new measures to 'minimise potential threats to the safety and security of the nation's food supply.'

Following hot on the heels of the announcement, FDA Commissioner Mark D. McClellan claimed that imported food inspections in 2003 have quintupled from 2001, rising to 62,000 inspections so far this year, from 12,000 two years ago.

"Both Secretary Thompson and FDA Commissioner McClellan emphasised that the focus of this new food security research will be on ways to prevent the intentional contamination of food,"​ commented John R. Cady, president and CEO of the industry group National Food Processors Association (NFPA).

Adding that the industry was "looking forward to working closely with FDA, as the nation's leading agency on food security, on this important new research"​.

Since the September 11 terrorist attack on the US, the country has been working on improving food security. Despite a history of dealing with food safety threats - from foodborne disease to product tampering - proof that food security is today receiving special financial attention from the powers that be is evident in the extra cash injections. From 2002 to 2003 the FDA's food security budget rose by $96 million - poured into new staff and resources. According to Secretary Thompson this week, President Bush's fiscal year 2004 budget has earmarked a further $116.3 million to 'protect the nation's food supply'.