Florida first lady Casey DeSantis' food testing program could fall flat as quickly as it began.
The House and Senate released their budget proposals last week, and neither chamber has the total funding requested by Gov. Ron DeSantis for the Healthy Florida First initiative within the Florida Department of Health.
The governor's budget proposal for the next fiscal year suggests $5 million going to the program. The Senate is earmarking $2 million, while the House doesn't put any money toward the initiative.
"I don't know why the state needs to create its own version of the (federal Food and Drug Administration)," Rep. Alex Andrade, R-Pensacola, told the News Service of Florida. "I think it's great what the first lady is doing, but no state employee has come and talked to me about why this is necessary."
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Andrade, the House Health Care Budget Subcommittee chair, has been a vocal opponent of the governor over a scandal involving Hope Florida, the first lady's welfare assistance program operated under the Florida Department of Children and Families.
Top state leaders were accused of using $10 million in taxpayer money to fund political campaigns opposing amendments on the 2024 ballot that would have legalized recreational marijuana and installed abortion rights in the constitution.
The Hope Florida Foundation, the fundraising arm of the charity, was used to funnel the money to political committees.
The governor's office declined to comment for this story.
Casey DeSantis has praised U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and his Make America Healthy Again agenda, modeling her program after his. Like Kennedy, she has also been critical of vaccine mandates.
This year, she has made numerous appearances touting Healthy Florida First, which uses independent labs to tests for toxins and heavy metals in food. She's led press conferences around the state highlighting the test results for infant formula, candy and bread.
Those results can be found at exposingfoodtoxins.com.
"Florida will continue to fight on behalf of families all across this great state and do what is within its authority to test, verify, retest, hold people accountable and bring transparency where families deserve answers," Casey DeSantis said at a press conference where she announced the state's testing results on infant formula.
ALSO READ: Candy under the microscope: Florida testing reveals arsenic in sweet treats
According to the state, heavy metals were found in 16 of 24 infant formulas and 28 of the 46 candy products; and pesticides were found in six of eight bread brands.
However, the results have spurred pushback from companies and advocacy groups in the food industry, who have questioned the state's testing methodology.
According to Transparency Florida, the testing program has cost approximately $44,000 since it began in late 2025. The first test results were announced Jan. 9.
Medallion Laboratories, which was founded as General Mills' in-house lab, was paid $23,400, and New Jersey Dairy Laboratories was paid approximately $15,800.
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