[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 177 (Thursday, September 12, 2002)]
[Notices]
[Pages 57827-57828]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-23193]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Food and Drug Administration

[Docket No. 02N-0393]


Assessing Acrylamide in the U.S. Food Supply; Public Meeting; 
Draft Action Plan on Acrylamide; Availability

AGENCY: Food and Drug Administration, HHS.

ACTION: Notice of public meeting and availability.

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SUMMARY: The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is announcing a public 
meeting entitled ``Assessing Acrylamide in the U.S. Food Supply.'' The 
purpose of the public meeting is to update the public on FDA's 
activities related to acrylamide in food, to present FDA's draft action 
plan on acrylamide, and to obtain and solicit comments on the action 
plan.
    Date and Time: The public meeting will be held on September 30, 
2002, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
    Location: The public meeting will be held at the Center for Food 
Safety and Applied Nutrition, Food and Drug Administration, Harvey W. 
Wiley Building Auditorium, 5100 Paint Branch Pkwy, College Park, MD.
    Contact: Louis J. Carson, Food Safety Staff (HFS-32), Center for 
Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, Food and Drug Administration, 5100 
Paint Branch Pkwy, College Park, MD 20740, 301-436-2130, FAX: 301-436-
2605, e-mail: [email protected].
    Addresses: Submit written comments concerning the agency's draft 
action plan on acrylamide to the Dockets Management Branch (HFA-305), 
Food and Drug Administration, 5630 Fishers Lane, rm. 1061, Rockville, 
MD 20852 by October 30, 2002. Submit electronic comments to http://www.fda.gov/dockets/ecomments. The draft action action plan will be be 
available on the Internet at http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/list.html.
    Registration and Request for Oral Presentations: Send registration 
information (including name, title, firm name, address, telephone 
number, and fax number) to the contact person by September 26, 2002. 
Additionally, specify if you wish to make an oral presentation.
    Transcripts: Transcripts of the meeting may be requested in writing 
from the Freedom of Information Office (HFI-35), Food and Drug 
Administration, 5600 Fishers Lane, rm 12A-16, Rockville, MD 20857, 
approximately 15 working days after the meeting at a cost of 10 cents 
per page.
    If you need special accommodations due to a disability, please 
notify the contact person at least 7 days in advance .

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Background

    On April 24, 2002, researchers at the Swedish National Food 
Administration and Stockholm University reported finding the chemical 
acrylamide in a variety of fried and oven baked foods. The initial 
Swedish research indicates that acrylamide formation is particularly 
associated with traditional high temperature cooking processes for 
certain carbohydrate-rich foods (Ref. 1). Since the Swedish report, 
similar findings have been reported by Norway, the United Kingdom, and 
Switzerland. The discovery of acrylamide in foods is a concern because 
acrylamide is a potential human carcinogen and genotoxicant.
    FDA is currently conducting a broad survey of the occurrence of 
acrylamide in foods. Analytical test methodology was developed for a 
broad range of food types by FDA to measure acrylamide levels. This 
methodology is available on the Internet at http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/dms/acrylami.html. Preliminary FDA food analyses for acrylamide suggest 
that U.S. food levels are consistent with Swedish and European 
published findings.
    Acrylamide is a potential cancer causing chemical that appears to 
be formed in many foods during the cooking process. It is not known if 
there is a link between acrylamide in food and cancer in humans. 
Further research into a number of factors will assist us in evaluating 
adequately the potential human risk of acrylamide. These factors 
include: Which foods contain acrylamide, range of levels in these 
foods, dietary exposure, the bioavailability of acrylamide from food, 
the potential of acrylamide to cause cancer when consumed in food, 
acrylamide's potential to cause germ cell mutations, and biomarkers of 
acrylamide exposure.
    Therefore, FDA has drafted an action plan to develop the 
information to assess effectively the risks associated with acrylamide 
in food and to make appropriate risk management choices. Until more is 
known, FDA is not recommending that consumers change their diet or 
cooking methods because of concerns about acrylamide. Consumers are 
advised to eat a balanced diet, choosing a variety of foods that are 
low in fat, and rich in high fiber grains, fruits, and vegetables.

II. Components of FDA's Draft Action Plan on Acrylamide

    The components of FDA's draft action plan on acrylamide include:
    [sbull] Assess the dietary exposure of U.S. consumers to acrylamide 
by measuring acrylamide levels in various foods,
    [sbull] Develop screening methods and validate confirmatory methods 
of analysis,
    [sbull] Assess the potential risks associated with acrylamide in 
foods by extensive evaluation of the available information and by 
expanding research into acrylamide toxicology,
    [sbull] Identify mechanisms responsible for the formation of 
acrylamide in foods and identify means to reduce acrylamide exposure,
    [sbull] Inform and educate consumers of the potential risks 
throughout the assessment process and as knowledge is gained, and
    [sbull] Develop and foster public/private partnerships to gather 
scientific and technological information and data for assessing the 
human risk.
    This public meeting is intended to present FDA's draft action plan 
on acrylamide and to obtain and solicit public comment on the plan. The 
draft action plan will be made public on the Internet at http://
www.cfsan.fda.gov/

[[Page 57828]]

list.html on or before the date of the public meeting. The preliminary 
agenda for the public meeting also will be made available on or before 
the date of the public meeting under the docket number found in 
brackets in the heading of this document at the Dockets Management 
Branch (see ADDRESSES).

III. Comments

    Interested persons may present data, information, or views orally 
or in writing on issues pending at the public meeting. Those desiring 
to make oral presentations should notify the contact person (see 
Contact) by September 26, 2002, and submit a brief statement of the 
general nature of the evidence or arguments they wish to present, their 
names, addresses, phone numbers, fax numbers, and e-mail addresses. 
Oral presentations are scheduled for the afternoon session starting at 
1:30 p.m. Oral presentations may be limited to 5 minutes, but may be 
expanded based on the number of people wishing to comment.
    You may submit written or electronic comments to the Dockets 
Management Branch (see ADDRESSES) for 30 days following the public 
meeting on the FDA's acrylamide draft action plan. Two copies of any 
comments are to be submitted, except individuals may submit one copy. 
Comments should be identified with the docket number found in the 
brackets in the heading of this document. A copy of the document and 
received comments are available for public examination in the Dockets 
Management Branch between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m., Monday through Friday.

IV. Reference

    The following reference has been placed on display in the Dockets 
Management Branch (see ADDRESSES) and may be seen by interested persons 
between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m., Monday through Friday.
    1. Tareke, E.; Rydberg, P.; Karlsson, P.; Eriksson, S.; and 
Tornquist, M.; Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, 2002, 
vol. 50, pp. 4998 to 5006.

    Dated: September 6, 2002.
Margaret M. Dotzel,
Associate Commissioner for Policy.
[FR Doc. 02-23193 Filed 9-9-02; 2:37 pm]
BILLING CODE 4160-01-S