U.S. Department of Health & Human Services
Improving the health, safety, and well-being of America	Frequent Questions Search

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"The FDA has continuously led the way in getting an effective food safety message out to the public," Secretary Shalala said. "The Outreach and Information Center is an important, new resource that will help put the most up-to-date, reliable food safety information at the fingertips of those who need it most -- American consumers."

The O&IC was created in part to enhance FDA's ability to provide accurate and meaningful information to the public about food safety. It is funded as one of the targeted projects for development under the Administration's Food Safety Initiative. In addition to providing food safety information, the O&IC will provide assistance with other CFSAN issues including cosmetics, food additives and dietary supplements.

The O&IC will operate CFSAN's new expanded toll-free public information line 1-888-SAFEFOOD. The information line is digitally managed by an advanced technology system of call handling, tracking and information retrieval. It includes more than 200 hours of newly recorded information on all CFSAN issues and regulated products. The system also offers more than one hundred CFSAN documents over fax or Web site.

Information specialists will take calls directly on 1-888-SAFEFOOD from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. business days. The newly expanded hours of operation begin September 14, and will increase by 50 percent the coverage of incoming public calls that will be answered by CFSAN information specialists.

The new information line replaces the old food line (1-800-FDA-4010) and the old cosmetic line (1-800-270-8869). Calls made to these old lines will automatically be transferred to the new information line.

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