[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 139 (Friday, July 20, 2007)]
[Notices]
[Pages 39818-39820]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E7-14045]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Food and Drug Administration


Food Safety and Defense . . . Be ALERT; Public Workshop

AGENCY: Food and Drug Administration, HHS.

ACTION: Notice of public workshop.

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SUMMARY: The Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Office of Regulatory 
Affairs (ORA), Atlanta District and Southeast Regional Office (SER), in 
collaboration with Georgia Food Safety and Defense Task Force, and the 
Metro Environmental Health Directors Food Service Advisory

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Committee, is announcing a public workshop entitled ``Food Safety and 
Defense . . . Be ALERT!'' This public workshop will provide information 
about how to control foodborne illness risk factors and how to secure 
food from intentional contamination (food defense awareness). The 
target audience will be operators of small, independent (non-chain) 
retail and food service establishments.
    Date and Time: This public workshop will be held on Wednesday, 
August 15, 2007, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
    Location: The public workshop will be held at the Hilton Atlanta 
Northeast Hotel, 5993 Peachtree Industrial Blvd., Norcross, GA.
    Contact: JoAnn Pittman, Food and Drug Administration, Atlanta 
District, Southeast Region, 60 8th St., NE., Atlanta, GA 30309, 404-
253-1272, FAX: 404-253-1202, or e-mail: [email protected].
    Registration is at no charge: The registration deadline is August 
1, 2007; please see instructions in this document. Those accepted into 
the workshop will receive confirmation. Registration at the site is not 
guaranteed but, may be possible on a space available basis (100 
maximum) on the day of the public workshop beginning at 9 a.m. If you 
need special accommodations due to a disability, please contact JoAnn 
Pittman (see Contact) at least 7 days in advance.
    Registration Form Instructions: To register, please complete the 
registration form in this document and submit to `` Food and Drug 
Administration, Attn: Dan Redditt, 60 8th St., NE.. Atlanta, GA 
30309.'' We encourage you to fax the completed registration form to: 
404-253-2257 or 404-253-1202. To obtain a copy of the registration 
form, please contact: Dan Redditt at 404-253-1265 or via e-mail at 
[email protected].

                    Food Safety and Defense . . . Be ALERT! Public Workshop Registration Form
Name:                                        ...................................................................
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Affiliation:                                 ...................................................................
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Mailing Address:                             ...................................................................
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City/State/Zip Code:                         ...................................................................
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Fax:                                         ...................................................................
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E-mail:                                      ...................................................................
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Special Accommodations Required:             ...................................................................
 
 
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    Transcripts: Transcripts of the public workshop will not be 
available due to the format of this workshop. Workshop handouts may be 
requested at cost through 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 public workshop at a 
cost of 10 cents per page.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This public workshop is being held in 
response to the large volume of food safety and food defense concerns 
from FDA-regulated products in facilities, such as manufacturers, 
processors, distributors, retailers, and restaurants, originating from 
the area covered by the FDA, Atlanta District, Southeast Region. The 
Atlanta District, Southeast Region presents this workshop to help 
achieve objectives set forth in section 406 of the Food and Drug 
Administration Modernization Act of 1997 (21 U.S.C. 393), which include 
working closely with stakeholders and maximizing the availability and 
clarity of information to stakeholders and the public. This is 
consistent with the purposes of the Retail Food Specialists and Public 
Affairs Specialists, which are in part to respond to industry 
inquiries, develop educational materials, sponsor workshops and 
conferences to provide firms, particularly small businesses, with 
firsthand working knowledge of FDA's guidance, requirements, and 
compliance policies. This workshop is also consistent with the Small 
Business Regulatory Enforcement Fairness Act of 1996 (Public Law 104-
121) as outreach activities by Government agencies to small businesses.
    The purpose of this workshop is to increase the knowledge of 
operators of small, independent, retail and food service establishments 
relative to food safety and food defense principles and to increase the 
application of these principles in their respective operations. The 
workshop will also present information that will enable food 
facilities, manufacturers, processors, distributors, retailers, and 
restaurants, to better comply with the regulations authorized by the 
Public Health Security and Bioterrorism Preparedness and Response Act 
of 2002 (the Bioterrorism Act), and with food safety and food defense 
guidance, especially in light of growing concerns about food defense. 
Information presented will be based on the agency position as 
articulated through regulation, guidance, and information previously 
made available to the public. Topics to be discussed at the workshop 
include: (1) Pre-Workshop Assessment, (2) The Headline You Don't Want 
to Make, (3) Tools for Keeping Your Food Safe--Interactive 
Demonstrations, (4) Be A.L.E.R.T. to Terrorism: Keeping Your Foods 
Secure, and (5) Making the Commitment (Post-Workshop Assessment), and Q 
and A.
    FDA expects that participation in this public workshop will provide 
industry with greater understanding of the regulatory and guidance 
perspectives on food safety and food defense and increase voluntary 
compliance and food defense awareness.


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    Dated: July 16, 2007.
Jeffrey Shuren,
Assistant Commissioner for Policy.
[FR Doc. E7-14045 Filed 7-19 -07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4160-01-S