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CFSAN Holds Stakeholder Meetings on Joint FDA-EPA Methylmercury Advisory Symposium on Peer Review of Risk Assessments and Related Activities

CFSAN Holds Stakeholder Meetings on Joint FDA-EPA Methylmercury Advisory

FDA and EPA held four meetings from July 29 to 31, 2003, with interested parties regarding methylmercury in fish. The meetings were held at the FDA, Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, Harvey W. Wiley Federal Building, College Park, Maryland. FDA and EPA are developing a joint fish consumption advisory about the risks of methylmercury in commercial and recreational fish for women of childbearing age and young children. As part of this initiative, the two agencies invited selected participants to a series of meetings to obtain stakeholder views on the issues associated with developing this joint federal advisory. FDA and EPA briefed stakeholders on their progress in positively responding to the FDA Food Advisory Committee (FAC) recommendations, the new exposure assessment, and the current approach FDA and EPA are taking to develop the joint advisory.

The meeting consisted of a series of formal presentations from FDA and EPA followed by a general discussion in which participants provided comment on the progress toward a joint advisory. The complete presentations are posted on the web at http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/~lrd/pestadd.html and http://www.epa.gov/waterscience/fish.

Summary comments from the four meetings are available at http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/~dms/mehg703.html.

Symposium on Peer Review of Risk Assessments and Related Activities

On September 30, 2003, a Symposium on Peer Review of Risk Assessments and Related Activities will be held in Riverdale, MD. The meeting will be co-sponsored by The Joint Institute for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition (JIFSAN), the Society for Risk Analysis, and the Interagency Risk Assessment Consortium. Pre-registration is not required. Onsite meeting registration will begin at 8:00 a.m., with the meeting running from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. at USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) at 4700 River Rd, Riverdale, MD. The building is approximately one half mile from the College Park metro stop on the green line. A free shuttle bus departs from the metro station every 15 minutes and arrives at the APHIS building 5 minutes later. Visitor parking will be available at the APHIS building; however, there is a charge for parking. There is no registration fee for the symposium. For more information, contact Janell Kause at 202-690-6424 or janell.kause@fsis.usda.gov or Mary Bartholomew at 301-827-0230 or mbarthol@cvm.fda.gov.

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

Office Number: (301) 436-2125 · FAX (301) 436-2605 CFSAN Web site: http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/