June 6, 2002

September is National Food Safety Education Month

September 2002 will mark the ninth annual National Food Safety Education Month^SM, one of the initiatives supported by the National Food Safety Initiative. The National Food Safety Education Month (NFSEM) 2002 Website is live at http://www.foodsafety.gov/september.html. The consumer theme is "Four Steps to Food Safety" and the retail establishment theme is "CHECK IT OUT before you check it in." The 2002 Planning Guide for Food Safety Educators and the 2002 Planning Guide for Retail Food Establishments are both available from the website.

Thinking Globally Working Locally

In observance of National Food Safety Education Month^SM, a conference on food safety education, "Thinking Globally-Working Locally" will be held. The conference is being held in Orlando, Florida, September 18-20, 2002. The conference is sponsored by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, in cooperation with the Partnership for Food Safety Education. It will focus on the food safety education implications of the global nature of the U.S. food supply, while at the same time recognizing that worldwide food safety education is very much a local effort.

For registration information and conference updates, please refer to the "Thinking Globally-Working Locally" Web site at www.fsis.usda.gov/Orlando2002

INTERNATIONAL WORKSHOP ON MYCOTOXINS

As part of a broader Food and Drug Administration (FDA) international food safety outreach effort, the FDA in conjunction with the Joint Institute for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition (JIFSAN) has organized a workshop to assist economically challenged nations worldwide minimize the problem of mycotoxin contamination of foodstuffs. Mycotoxins are hazardous to consumers and pose a unique challenge to the goal of providing a safe, wholesome food supply worldwide. Practices such as the destruction of contaminated products are not always practical and could seriously affect the food supply of affected countries. The workshop will be held July 22 - 26, 2002 at the Food and Drug Administration, Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, 5100 Paint Branch Parkway, College Park, Maryland.

The workshop is designed for training trainers in order to provide opportunities to developing countries to improve food safety and quality, and institute sustainable monitoring programs. Fifty participants selected from a pool of applicants from more than 100 countries were selected based upon, the severity of the mycotoxin problem in their respective countries, their qualifications, and potential to accomplish the objectives of this effort upon their return. Individuals receiving this training are expected to conduct similar workshops in their respective regions. The long-term objective of the workshop is to ultimately reduce human and animal exposure to mycotoxins through increased awareness of the health risks associated with mycotoxin contamination and knowledge of conditions leading to mycotoxin formation, and establishment of regulations and monitoring programs as well as compliance with international trade standards.

In addition to the FDA and JIFSAN, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), the European Commission (EC), AOAC INTERNATIONAL, and the following United Nations Agencies - Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), World Health Organization (WHO), International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP), and Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), are involved in various capacities. Furthermore, local industry and national institutions in the USA and the UK have lent their support to this very important effort.

For additional information about the Workshop, contact Henry Njapau (Henry.Njapau@cfsan.fda.gov) or Socrates Trujillo (Socrates.Trujillo@cfsan.fda.gov).