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October 5, 2007
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is announcing the opportunity for patient and consumer advocacy groups, professional scientific and medical societies, and industry trade organizations to nominate candidates to serve on the Board of Directors (the Board) of a new non-profit foundation, the Reagan-Udall Foundation for the Food and Drug Administration (the Foundation). The Foundation will be dedicated to modernizing medical, veterinary, food, food ingredient, and cosmetic product development, accelerating innovation, and enhancing product safety.
Written or electronic nominations must be submitted on or before October 15, 2007 either by fax to Lisa Rovin or Nancy Stanisic at 301–443–9718 or by e-mail to Reagan-Udall-Board@FDA.HHS.GOV.
For Further Information Contact:
Lisa Rovin
Office of Policy and Planning (HF–11)
Food and Drug Administration
5600 Fishers Lane
Rockville, MD 20857
301–827–1443
or
Nancy Stanisic
Office of Critical Path Programs (HF–18)
Food and Drug Administration
5600 Fishers Lane
Rockville, MD 20857
301–827–1660
The complete Federal Register Notice describing this opportunity is available at 72 FR 56362.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the California Department of Public Health are continuing efforts in 2007 to increase produce safety.
In 2004, the FDA launched the 2004 FDA Produce Safety Action Plan, intended to minimize the incidence of food borne illness associated with the consumption of fresh produce. In 2006, FDA, in collaboration with the State of California's Departments of Public Health and Food and Agriculture, began a multi-year risk-based strategic Initiative intended to reduce food related public health risks by concentrating on preventive food safety efforts relative to specific products, practices, agents, and growing areas of greatest concern. The first year of the Initiative (also referred to specifically as the Lettuce Safety Initiative) concentrated on fresh and fresh-cut lettuce as a response to recurring outbreaks of E. coli O157:H7 in these products.
FDA and the California Department of Public Health are continuing these efforts in 2007 with a focus on a broader range of leafy greens, including spinach, building upon lessons learned in the first year, subsequent outbreak investigations, and our 2007 Tomato Safety Initiative which is underway in Virginia and Florida.
More specifically, in October 2007, FDA investigators, in coordination with their respective state counterparts, and with the cooperation of the industry, will visit farms in California to assess the prevalence of factors in and near the field environment which may contribute to potential contamination of leafy greens with E. coli O157:H7 and the extent to which Good Agricultural Practices (GAPs) and other preventive controls are being implemented. Further information regarding this Initiative is available at Leafy Greens Safety Initiative - 2nd year.
