Congress Passes 2016 Spending Bill with Significant Funding for Food Agencies
The 2016 Omnibus Spending Bill recently passed by both houses of Congress ushers in important developments in the food safety, labeling, and nutrition spaces. Following House and Senate votes December 18, it now goes to President Obama for his signature.
The bill includes important provisions for the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and Department of Agriculture (USDA), as well as for supplemental nutrition programs. Notably, the bill allocates $104.5 million to FDA for implementation of the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA), the most sweeping food safety reform in 70 years. For an in-depth discussion of the various food-related funds and other provisions in the bill, as well as our end-of-year food litigation and regulatory outlook, please click here for the most recent ML Strategies/Mintz Levin Food Safety, Labeling, and Nutrition Update.