The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is announcing two additional public meetings on the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA): Proposed Rules for Produce Safety and for the Preventive Controls for Human Food. These meetings are the second and third in a series of public meetings announced in the January 31, 2013 Federal Register Notice and on FDA’s FSMA website. The first meeting will be held February 28-March 1, 2013, at the U.S. Department of Agriculture in Washington, DC.

The purpose of the public meetings is to discuss the proposed rules to establish standards for growing, harvesting, packing, and holding of produce for human consumption (the produce safety proposed rule) and for current good manufacturing practice and hazard analysis and risk-based preventive controls for human food (the preventive controls for human food proposed rule). They are the first of five proposed rules that would establish the foundation of, and central framework for, the modern food safety system envisioned by Congress in the FDA Food Safety Modernization Act. The meetings are also designed to solicit oral and public comments from stakeholders on the proposed rules, inform the public about the rulemaking process (including how to submit comments, data and other information to the rulemaking dockets), and respond to questions about the proposed rules. 
Specific information for the Chicago, IL and Portland, OR Public Meetings is provided below.

  • Public Meeting attendees are encouraged to register on-line or contact: Courtney Treece, Planning Professionals, Ltd., 1210 W. McDermott, Suite 111, Allen, TX 75013, telephone: 704-258-4983, fax: 469-854-6992, e-mail: ctreece@planningprofessionals.com.
  • For general questions about the meetings or to request special accommodations due to a disability, contact: Juanita Yates, FDA, Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, telephone: 240-402-1731, e-mail: juanita.yates@fda.hhs.gov.

Additional Information and registration:

Please note the following important dates:

March 11-12, 2013 Meeting in Chicago, IL

  • February 21, 2013: Closing date for request to make oral comment
  • February 21, 2013: Closing date to request special accommodation due to a disability
  • March 1, 2013: Closing date for advance registration
  • May 16, 2013: closing Date to submit either electronic or written comments to FDA’s Division of Dockets Management; for the proposed rule on Preventive Controls see Docket No. FDA-2011-N-0920 and for the proposed rule on Produce Safety Standards see Docket No. FDA-2011-N-0921

March 27-28, 2013 Meeting in Portland, OR

  • March 8, 2013: Closing date for request to make oral comment
  • March 8, 2013: Closing date to request special accommodation due to a disability
  • March 18, 2013: Closing date for advance registration

May 16, 2013: closing Date to submit either electronic or written comments to FDA’s Division of Dockets Management; for the proposed rule on Preventive Controls see Docket No. FDA-2011-N-0920 and for the proposed rule on Produce Safety Standards see Docket No. FDA-2011-N-0921