[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 187 (Monday, September 28, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Page 51584]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-25794]



DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Food and Drug Administration


Food Safety Risk Assessment Clearinghouse; Postponement of Open 
Technical Workshop

AGENCY: Food and Drug Administration, HHS.
ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Joint Institute 
for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition (JIFSAN) are announcing 
postponement of an open technical workshop on the formation of a Food 
Safety Risk Assessment Clearinghouse originally scheduled for October 5 
and 6, 1998 (63 FR 40530, July 29, 1998). The workshop is being 
postponed due to scheduling conflicts as well as the need for further 
research to assure that the technical workshop will be effective at 
soliciting input into the clearinghouse framework document.
    Date and Time: The technical workshop will be rescheduled for early 
1999.
    Registration: Notification of postponement and the new workshop 
date will be sent to all preregistered parties. To be automatically 
notified of the new workshop date, please contact Jacqueline M. 
Williams, Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition (HFS-315), Food 
and Drug Administration, 200 C St. SW., Washington, DC 20204, 202-205-
4224, FAX 202-205-4422, or monitor on-line at ``http://
www.life.umd.edu/jifsan/chouse.html''.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Valerie M. Davis (FDA) or Roberta 
Morales, VA-MD Regional College of Veterinary Medicine, University of 
Maryland, College Park, MD, 20742-3711, 301-935-6083, ext. 158, FAX 
301-935-0149.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The May 1997 Report to the President on the 
National Food Safety Initiative described the need to establish a 
clearinghouse that would collect and catalogue available data and 
methodology pertinent to microbial risk-assessment offered by the 
private sector, trade associations, Federal and State agencies, and 
international sources. The goals of the clearinghouse would be to 
consolidate research data and methodology from public and proprietary 
sources, assist in coordinating research activities, identify gaps in 
needed research, and assist in the development of microbial risk 
assessment models.
    An open meeting was held on August 7, 1998, which provided an 
overview of risk assessment, introduced the concept of a risk 
assessment clearinghouse, and identified and solicited the needs of 
potential users. Input of potential users from Federal and local 
government, academia, private industry, and consumer groups in 
attendance at the meeting are still being evaluated but several general 
observations are evident: (1) There is widespread interest and support 
for the clearinghouse among all groups; (2) it is critical to involve 
interested parties at every stage in the development of the 
clearinghouse; (3) educational efforts to explain the role of risk 
assessment in food safety decisionmaking should continue; and (4) the 
risk assessment clearinghouse must provide access to information in 
areas of risk management and food safety that would be useful to a 
broad cross section of users.
    Summaries from focus group discussions and raw data collected from 
the participants in the August 7, 1998, open meeting entitled ``Risk 
Assessment Clearinghouse: Users and Needs'' will be posted on the World 
Wide Web (WWW) at ``http://www.life.umd.edu/jifsan/chouse.html''. Those 
accessing the website will be able to submit further input directly on 
the website. In addition, the draft clearinghouse framework document, 
intended to be the focal point of the upcoming technical workshop, will 
be posted on the WWW at ``http://www.life.umd.edu/jifsan/chouse.html''. 
Comments are encouraged and input will be accepted directly on the 
website. The new date and location of this workshop will be announced 
on the previously mentioned WWW address.

    Dated: September 21, 1998.
 William K. Hubbard,
 Associate Commissioner for Policy Coordination.
[FR Doc. 98-25794 Filed 9-25-98; 8:45 am]
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