Press Office
Food and Drug Administration
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

NOTE TO CORRESPONDENTS                                            Print Media: 301-827-6242
December 10, 1999                                                 
                                                                  Consumer Inquiries: 888-INFO-FDA

Change in Location for
FDA's California Biotech Foods Meeting

The Food and Drug Administration today announced a change in the location of the public meeting on bioengineered foods for Oakland, California. The new location is the Edward Roybal Auditorium and Conference Center, Third Floor, 1301 Clay Street, Oakland, California. The public meeting will be held on December 13 from 9:00 a.m. until 6:00 p.m.

This public meeting will afford consumers, industry, and academia an opportunity to comment on FDA's jurisdiction related to foods derived from plants developed using bioenginerering techniques. The public will be informed about current FDA policy for assuring the safety of bioengineered foods. The public will be asked whether this policy should be modified and also to comment on appropriate means of providing information to the public about bioengineered products in the food supply.