THE WHAT? The Environmental Working Group has issued a statement applauding President Joe Biden for making the safety of chemicals in food and cosmetics a priority for the Food and Drug Administration’s budget for fiscal 2023.

THE DETAILS The budget includes US$8.4 billion for the FDA, up US$2.1 billion on the 2022 allocation, with US$19.7 million in new funding for the FDA’s Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition.

THE WHY? The proposed budget, if approved by Congress, would give the FDA greater legislative authority to ensure the safety of cosmetics. Scott Faber, EWG’s Senior Vice president for Government Affairs, commented, “EWG applauds the Biden administration for making chemical safety a priority for the FDA… for too long, the FDA has let food and chemical companies decide whether toxic ‘forever chemicals’ liked PFAS, or toxic metals like lead and arsenic, are safe.”