A review of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Food Safety Modernization Act of 2009 by the National Fisheries Institute Inc. (NFI) found that the bill updates and improves earlier food safety efforts without unnecessary restrictions or redundancies, according to an NFI statement.

A coalition of legislators led by Sen. Richard Durbin (D-Ill.) on March 3 introduced the bill as part of an effort to amend the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act with regard to the safety of the food supply.

"Forward thinking has recognized that as a country we can't just inspect our way to perfect food safety and we can't simply legislate our way there, either," said NFI president John Connelly in a statement. "This bill recognizes the hard work the FDA has done and continues to do and the need to provide incentives for members of the seafood community who are dedicated to maintaining the integrity of the food we all enjoy today."

The NFI hopes funding for the Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition will reach $725 million by 2010, Connelly added.