[Federal Register Volume 59, Number 40 (Tuesday, March 1, 1994)]
[Unknown Section]
[Page 0]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 94-4691]


[[Page Unknown]]

[Federal Register: March 1, 1994]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
 

Advisory Committee; Notice of Meeting

AGENCY: Food and Drug Administration, HHS.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: This notice announces a forthcoming meeting of a public 
advisory committee of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). This 
notice also summarizes the procedures for the meeting and methods by 
which interested persons may participate in open public hearings before 
FDA's advisory committees.

MEETING: The following advisory committee meeting is announced:
Food Advisory Committee
    Date, time, and place. March 9 and 10, 1994, 8 a.m., Salon B, 
Sheraton Crystal City Hotel, 1800 Jefferson Davis Hwy., Arlington, VA 
22202.
    Type of meeting and contact person. Open committee discussion, 
March 9, 1994, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.; open committee discussion, March 10, 
1994, 8 a.m. to 12:45 p.m.; open public hearing, 12:45 p.m. to 1:45 
pm., unless public participation does not last that long; open committe 
discussion, 1:45 p.m. to 5 p.m.; Lynn A. Larsen, Center for Food Safety 
and Applied Nutrition (HFS-5), Food and Drug Administration, 200 C St. 
SW., Washington, DC 20204, 202-205-4727, or Catherine M. DeRoever, 
Advisory Committee Staff (HFS-22), 202-205-4251, FAX 202-205-4970.
    General function of the committee. The committee provides advice on 
emerging food safety, food science, and nutrition issues that FDA 
considers of primary importance in the next decade.
    Agenda--Open public hearing. Interested persons may present data, 
information, or views, orally or in writing, on issues pending before 
the committee. Those desiring to make formal presentations should 
notify the contact person by close of business March 4, 1994, and 
submit a brief statement of the general nature of the evidence or 
arguments they wish to present, the names and addresses of proposed 
participants, and an indication of the approximate time required to 
make their comments. If necessary, comments may be limited to 5 minutes 
per participant.
    Open committee discussion. The committee will undertake a 
scientific discussion of the safety review of whole foods produced by 
new biotechnologies. A genetically modified tomato currently under 
consideration by the agency will serve as the focus of the discussion.
    FDA regrets that it is publishing this notice in the Federal 
Register less than 15 days prior to the meeting because of scheduling 
difficulties and the press of other committee business. The next 
regularly scheduled meeting of the committee is tentatively set for 
April 6 through 8, 1994, with an agenda scheduled to cover 3 days. 
Attempts were made to schedule a committee meeting in March with 
sufficient time for at least a 15-day public notice. However, it was 
not possible to find a date during that period on which a quorum of 
committee members could meet with responsible staff from the agency and 
other affected parties. The agency has decided that it is in the public 
interest to hold this scientific discussion on March 9 and 10, 1994, 
even if there is not time for the customary 15-day public notice.
    FDA public advisory committee meetings may have as many as four 
separable portions: (1) An open public hearing, (2) an open committee 
discussion, (3) a closed presentation of data, and (4) a closed 
committee deliberation. Every advisory committee meeting shall have an 
open public hearing portion. Whether or not it also includes any of the 
other three portions will depend upon the specific meeting involved. 
There are no closed portions for the meetings announced in this notice. 
The dates and times reserved for the open portions of each committee 
meeting are listed above.
    The open public hearing portion of each meeting shall be at least 1 
hour long unless public participation does not last that long. It is 
emphasized, however, that the 1 hour time limit for an open public 
hearing represents a minimum rather than a maximum time for public 
participation, and an open public hearing may last for whatever longer 
period the committee chairperson determines will facilitate the 
committee's work.
    Public hearings are subject to FDA's guideline (subpart C of 21 CFR 
part 10) concerning the policy and procedures for electronic media 
coverage of FDA's public administrative proceedings, including hearings 
before public advisory committees under 21 CFR part 14. Under 21 CFR 
10.205, representatives of the electronic media may be permitted, 
subject to certain limitations, to videotape, film, or otherwise record 
FDA's public administrative proceedings, including presentations by 
participants.
    Meetings of advisory committees shall be conducted, insofar as is 
practical, in accordance with the agenda published in this Federal 
Register notice. Changes in the agenda will be announced at the 
beginning of the open portion of a meeting.
    Any interested person who wishes to be assured of the right to make 
an oral presentation at the open public hearing portion of a meeting 
shall inform the contact person listed above, either orally or in 
writing, prior to the meeting. Any person attending the hearing who 
does not in advance of the meeting request an opportunity to speak will 
be allowed to make an oral presentation at the hearing's conclusion, if 
time permits, at the chairperson's discretion.
    The agenda, the questions to be addressed by the committee, and a 
current list of committee members will be available at the meeting 
location on the day of the meeting.
    Transcripts of the open portion of the meeting may be requested in 
writing from the Freedom of Information Office (HFI-35), Food and Drug 
Administration, rm. 12A-16, 5600 Fishers Lane, Rockville, MD 20857, 
approximately 15 working days after the meeting, at a cost of 10 cents 
per page. The transcript may be viewed at the Dockets Management Branch 
(HFA-305), Food and Drug Administration, rm. 1-23, 12420 Parklawn Dr., 
Rockville, MD 20857, approximately 15 working days after the meeting, 
between the hours of 9 a.m. and 4 p.m., Monday through Friday. Summary 
minutes of the open portion of the meeting may be requested in writing 
from the Freedom of Information Office (address above) beginning 
approximately 90 days after the meeting.
    This notice is issued under section 10(a)(1) and (2) of the Federal 
Advisory Committee Act (5 U.S.C. app. 2), and FDA's regulations (21 CFR 
part 14) on advisory committees.

    Dated: February 23, 1994.
Jane E. Henney,
Deputy Commissioner for Operations.
[FR Doc. 94-4691 Filed 2-25-94; 11:10 am]
BILLING CODE 4160-01-F