Public Hearing: Ensuring the Safety of Imported Foods and Animal Feed: Comparability of Food Safety Systems and Import Practices of Foreign Countries

 

Notice of Public Hearing; Request for Comments

March 30, 2011 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
March 31, 2011 9:00 am - 1:00 pm

Harvey W. Wiley Federal Building
U.S. Food and Drug Administration
5100 Paint Branch Parkway
College Park, MD 20740-3835
Docket No. FDA-2011-N-0135

Meeting Agenda (PDF 910 KB)

Transcript (March 30, 2011)

Transcript (March 31, 2011)

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has announced a Public Hearing on Ensuring the Safety of Imported Foods and Animal Feed: Comparability of Food Safety Systems and Import Practices of Foreign Countries. The purpose of the Hearing is to provide stakeholders the opportunity to discuss FDA’s use of international comparability assessments as a mechanism to enhance the safety of imported foods and animal feed and lessons learned through equivalence determinations. In addition, there will be a separate discussion of FDA's efforts to gather information from regulators in other countries regarding the regulatory policies, practices and programs they currently use to ensure the safety of foods and animal feed imported into their countries. In a separate notice published elsewhere in the Federal Register, FDA is announcing a one-day Public Meeting to discuss the implementation of the imports provisions found in Title III of the FDA Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA).

Public Hearing attendees are encouraged to register on-line or contact: Courtney Treece, Planning Professionals, Ltd., 1210 W. McDermott, Suite 111, Allen, TX 75013, phone: 704-258-4983, fax: 469-854-6992, e-mail: ctreece@planningprofessionals.com.

For general questions about the Hearing, to request an opportunity to make Pubic Comments, to request on-site Parking, or to request special accommodations due to a Disability, contact: Juanita Yates, Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, 301-436-1731, e-mail: juanita.yates@fda.hhs.gov.

Federal Register Notice of the Hearing

Please note the following important Dates:

• March 14, 2011: Closing date for Request to Make Oral Presentation
• March 21, 2011: Closing date for:
  • Advance Registration
  • Requesting special accommodations due to a Disability, and
    Providing a brief description of an oral presentation and any written material for presentation
• March 23, 2011: Closing date to Request on-site Parking
• June 30, 2011: Closing date for submitting written comments, identifying your comments by Docket No: FDA-2011-N-0135. Submit electronic comments to http://www.regulations.gov, or submit written comments to the Division of Dockets Management, Food and Drug Administration, 5630 Fishers Lane, Room 1061, Rockville, MD 20852. Received comments may be seen in the Division of Dockets Management between 9:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m., Monday through Friday.