FDA’s First Public Meeting on the FDA Food Safety Modernization Act: Focus on Imports; March 29, 2011

March 16, 2011

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration recently announced a public meeting entitled, “FDA Food Safety Modernization Act: A New Paradigm for Importers.”  The public meeting will be held on Tuesday, March 29, 2011, from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. at the FDA White Oak Campus, The Great Room, Building 31, Room 1503, 10903 New Hampshire Avenue, Silver Spring, MD 20993.

The purpose of this meeting is to provide interested persons an opportunity to discuss implementation of the import safety provisions of the recently enacted FDA Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA).  FDA is seeking input to inform the development of regulations and guidance on importer verification, the Voluntary Qualified Importer Program, import certifications for food, and third-party accreditation. 

Listening to our stakeholders is the primary purpose of this meeting.  In order to meet this goal, FDA will provide multiple opportunities for individuals to actively express their views by making presentations at the meeting, participating in breakout sessions on the provisions discussed at the meeting, and submitting written comments to the designated docket(s) within 30 days after this meeting.  There will also be an interactive Webcast, with closed captioning.