Measuring Progress on Food Safety: Current Status and Future Directions
FSIS, FDA, and CDC Announce Portland Public Meeting Details

Congressional and Public Affairs
(202) 720-9113 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting (202) 720-9113 end_of_the_skype_highlighting
Atiya Khan

WASHINGTON, Sept. 22, 2010 – The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS), U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) jointly announced details for their third collaborative public meeting on appropriate food safety metrics to be held in Portland, Ore. on October 20, 2010.

At the Oct. 20 meeting, interested stakeholders (which could include members of consumer groups, industry, state and local regulators, and state and local public health agencies) will be given the opportunity to present information on the measurements they are using or recommend to assess performance in food safety. The Agencies are also interested in additional input from participants on their understanding and perceptions of metrics currently being used by the Federal Agencies. FSIS, FDA, and CDC will also present information similar to that presented at the July public meeting in Chicago on the President’s Food Safety Working Group’s charge to create meaningful metrics to measure progress in reducing illness, harm, and death from contaminated food.

Due to limited space, the Agencies encourage all persons who wish to attend the public meeting, including those requesting an opportunity to make an oral presentation, to register in advance. The location and important deadlines are listed below:

•September 24, 2010, is the closing date for requests to make an oral presentation;
•October 8, 2010, is the closing date for advance registration and requests for special accommodations due to disability;
•October 20, 2010, Public Meeting to be held from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Crowne Plaza Portland Downtown, 1441 NE Second Avenue, Portland, Ore. 97232.

The two previous public meetings were held on March 30, 2010, in Washington, DC, and July 21, 2010, in Chicago, Ill. Transcripts for the previous meetings, general information, the Federal Register Notice and links to register online and request special accommodations for the upcoming meeting are available at http://www.fsis.usda.gov/News/
Meetings_&_Events/index.asp.

Electronic registration is encouraged. Questions regarding registration should be directed to Jodee Warner, EDJ Associates, Inc., 11300 Rockville Pike, Suite 1001, Rockville, MD 20852, (240) 221-4296 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting (240) 221-4296 end_of_the_skype_highlighting, e-mail: jwarner@edjassociates.com

For general information and requests to make an oral presentation, contact: Juanita Yates, Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, FDA, (301) 436-1731 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting (301) 436-1731 end_of_the_skype_highlighting, e-mail: juanita.yates@fda.hhs.gov.

Paul F. Miller
PO Box 47146

Phoenix, Arizona 85068-7146

Phone 602-228-2357