[Federal Register: September 28, 1998 (Volume 63, Number 187)]
[Notices]
[Page 51584]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr28se98-66]

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]
BILLING CODE 4160-01-F