[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 34 (Thursday, February 20, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Page 7749]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-4124]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Food Safety and Inspection Service
[Docket No. 97-003N]


President's National Food Safety Initiative

AGENCY: Food Safety and Inspection Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The United States Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Food 
Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) and Research, Education, and 
Economics; The Department of Health and Human Services' Food and Drug 
Administration (FDA) and Centers for Disease Control; and the 
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will convene a public meeting to 
discuss the ``President's National Food Safety Initiative.'' At this 
meeting, participants will be briefed on the purpose of the President's 
initiative and on the agenda for a second public meeting to be held in 
April. The goal of the April meeting will be to discuss and develop, 
for the President, comprehensive recommendations for reducing, to the 
greatest extent possible, the annual incidence of foodborne illness by 
enhancing the safety of the Nation's food supply.

DATES: The meeting will be held from 9:00 a.m. until 1:00 p.m. on March 
5, 1997.

ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held at the Jefferson Auditorium, 1400 
Independence Ave, SW, Washington, DC 20250.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: To register for the meeting, contact 
Lisa Parks at (202) 501-7138, FAX (202) 501-7642, or E-mail usdafsis/
[email protected]. For questions about the meeting or to obtain 
copies of a draft report, contact Mr. Charles Danner, FSIS at (202) 
501-7138 or Ms. Caren Carson, FDA at (202) 205-5140. Copies of the 
draft report also are available from the following: FSIS at http://
www.usda.gov/fsis or FDA at http://vm.cfsan.fda.gov/list.html.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On January 25, 1997, the President directed 
the Secretaries of USDA and HHS and the Administrator of the EPA to 
work with consumers, producers, industry, States, universities, and the 
public to identify ways to further improve the safety of our food 
supply through government and private sector action, including public 
private partnerships, and make recommendations to the President. The 
President requested that the recommendations identify steps to further 
improve surveillance, inspection, research, risk assessment, education, 
and coordination among local, State, and Federal health authorities.
    To carry out the President's initiative, two public meetings will 
be held. At the first meeting, government officials will discuss the 
current thinking on the President's six areas of concern. They also 
will discuss the agenda and goal of the meeting to be held in April.
    At the April meeting, participants will be asked to identify 
problems and provide recommendations related to the President's six 
areas of concern. A second Federal Register notice will be published 
that provides additional information about the time, location, and 
focus of the April meeting.

    Done at Washington, DC, on: February 13, 1997.
Thomas J. Billy,
Administrator.
[FR Doc. 97-4124 Filed 2-14-97; 9:54 am]
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