August 24, 2000

FDA in cooperation with USDA's Food Safety Inspection Service will hold a public meeting to assess the current status of scientific research required to make decisions about Salmonella Enteritidis (SE) in egg preventative controls, surveillance, and education based on the Egg Safety Action Plan. The public meeting will provide an opportunity to identify the existing primary research gaps and what mechanisms should be used to address such research gaps (e.g., awarding of competitive research grants, targeted contracting of research).

The meeting will be held on Friday, September 8, 2000, from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m, at the Holiday Inn Crowne Plaza, 1325 Virginia Avenue, Atlanta, Georgia.

To register for the meeting contact, Wendy S. Buckler on (202) 205-2923 or e-mail: wendy.buckler@cfsan.fda.gov.

For general information regarding the meeting or the Egg Safety Action Plan contact, Robert Brackett on (202) 205-4064 or e-mail: robert.brackett@cfsan.fda.gov.

FDA has established public dockets to which comments may be submitted. All comments must include the docket number (OON-1460) and should be submitted in duplicate to the Dockets Management Branch (HFA-305), Food and Drug Administration, 5630 Fishers Lane, Room 1061, Rockville, Maryland 20852. Comments may also be sent to the following e-mail address: FDADockets@oc.fda.gov. Written comments should be submitted no later than October 10, 2000.

A copy of the meeting notice was published in the Wednesday, August 23, 2000 Federal Register. A copy of notice can be found on FDA's website at www.fda.gov/OHRMS/DOCKETS/98fr/082300b.htm.

FDA announced in the Federal Register that the proposed collection of information to provide information about consumers' food safety awareness, knowledge, concerns, and practices was submitted to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and clearance under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995. The food safety survey will be conducted using a nationally representative sample of 2,000 adults in households with telephones and cooking facilities, selected at random, and interviewed by telephone. Participation in the survey will be voluntary. Detailed information about risk perception, perceived sources of food contamination, knowledge of particular microorganisms, safe care label use, food handling practices, consumption of raw foods from animals, information sources, and perceived foodborne illness and food allergy experience will be collected. FDA needs current information to support consumer education programs and regulatory development.

A copy of the Federal Register notice can be obtained from FDA's website at www.fda.gov/OHRMS/DOCKETS/98fr/081800c.txt.

Food Safety Initiative Staff E-mail: chammett@cfsan.fda.gov

Office Number: (202) 260-8920 · FAX (202) 260-9653 CFSAN Web site: http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/