Washington: The FDA will hold a public Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) meeting "International Capacity Building with Respect to Food Safety" on June 19, 2012, in Washington, DC.
The daylong meeting will provide interested persons an opportunity to discuss FDA's comprehensive plan to expand the technical, scientific, and regulatory capacity of foreign governments and their respective food industries in countries that export foods to the United States (the "capacity-building plan"). FDA is developing this plan pursuant to FSMA.
The public meeting is an opportunity for interested persons and stakeholders to share views concerning how FDA should address the six elements in the capacity-building plan, including:
- Recommendations for bilateral and multilateral arrangements and agreements, including providing for responsibilities of exporting countries to ensure food safety;
- Provisions for secure electronic data sharing;
- Provisions for mutual recognition of inspection reports;
- Training of foreign governments and food producers on US requirements for safe food;
- Recommendations on whether and how to harmonize requirements under the Codex Alimentarius; and
- Provisions for multilateral acceptance of laboratory methods and testing and detection techniques.
The meeting will be held from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the L'Enfant Plaza Hotel, 480 L'Enfant Plaza, SW, Washington, D.C. Attendees can register online or contact Courtney Treece, Planning Professionals, (704) 258-4983 or [email protected].