Dive Brief:
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Food groups are concerned Congress will charge them extra fees to fund the FDA and its safety programs, so about 60 groups wrote a letter to Congress asking them to reject any efforts to require new regulatory fees.
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The letter requested that Congress instead "seek all such funding through the Congressional budget and appropriations process."
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According to the proposed fiscal year 2016 budget for the FDA, food and feed producers, makers, and distributors would face a food registration and inspection fee, for a proposed total of $60 million in the fiscal year. They would also have to pay a food import fee, with projected revenues of $103 million in the fiscal year. Food groups are determined to have Congress reject this proposal as it has in the past.
Dive Insight:
Food safety is a growing concern for food and beverage companies, the government, and consumers alike. With threats of contamination from certain viruses lurking about, such as the avian flu reported on the West Coast, other countries are putting bans on U.S. imports. One of the most recent threats is the avian flu strain H5N2 impacting a commercial flock in Minnesota, as confirmed by the USDA. Additionally, the Philippines Department of Agriculture recently put in place a temporary ban on imported California poultry as a means to shield against the Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI). China has already banned U.S. poultry and egg imports.