Invitation Letter to the Food Safety Modernization Act Embassy Briefing

2 February 2011

Invitation to the Washington Diplomatic Community to an
Embassy Briefing
on the new Food Safety Modernization Act

sponsored by
the u.s. Food and Drug Administration

Your Excellency:

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is committed to maintaining open communications internationally to help ensure that our foreign partners are aware of FDA programs and initiatives that we believe are of interest to the larger global community. Through our Office of International Programs (OIP), FDA works to meet our public health mission in a variety of ways, including enhancing international cooperation and information sharing through information exchanges such as briefings for the Washington diplomatic community. I am writing you today to invite you and/or senior representatives from your mission to an embassy briefing we are sponsoring on the 23rd of February that will focus on the new Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA).

As you are probably aware, U.S. President Barack Obama recently signed this new piece of U.S. legislation into law. This new legislation lays the foundation for a prevention based, 21 st century food safety system for the United States. It has many new elements that create specific responsibilities and accountabilities for all of those in the food chain from farm to U.S. table - whether domestic or international. With this new law and its primary focus on prevention of food-borne public health problems, FDA has received enhanced legal authorities and mandates. These authorities and our science-based procedures and standards will help us significantly to address potential food-borne hazards that cause human illness.

In response to the interest in the international community about how FDA will be implementing this new legislation, FDA is sponsoring another in our series of "Embassy Briefings." I would, therefore, like to cordially invite you and/or senior representatives from your embassy to this briefing featuring Michael R. Taylor, who is FDA's Deputy Commissioner for Foods.

Deputy Commissioner Taylor and other key leaders in this implementation initiative will provide an overview of this new legislation and of FDA's plans for its implementation and will be available to answer questions you may have.

Please also visit our website for additional information at: http://www.fda.gov/ForConsumers/ConsumerUpdates/ucm237758.htm

The Embassy briefing is scheduled for Wednesday, February 23,2011, from 1:30 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. in the Ambassador Room, Hilton Embassy Row Hotel, 2015 Massachusetts Avenue, N.W., Washington, D.C. Registration will begin promptly at 1:30 p.m. with the program beginning at 2:00 p.m.

We hope you and/or your staff will be able join us for what we believe will be a very interesting and informative briefing by Mr. Taylor and his colleagues. We ask that you please take a few minutes to complete the online registration form for this Embassy briefing by February 16th. The form can be found at: www.blsmeetings.netlUSFDAOIP-FSMAEmbassyBriefing2011 (Registration Closed)

For further information or questions, please contact Ms. Vashti Klein, Assistant Director for International Communications in FDA's Office of Intemational Programs. She can be reached at 301-796-8375 or OIPCommunications@fda.hhs.gov .

I look forward to welcoming you and/or your representatives on February 23. Until then, please accept my warmest personal regards.

Sincerely yours,

---/s/---

Murray M. Lumpkin, M.D., M.Sc.
Deputy Commissioner
International Programs

International Outreach to Foreign Embassies