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FSIS and FDA to Host a Public Meeting to Discuss the Interagency Retail Listeria monocytogenes Risk Assessment
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Congressional and Public Affairs
(202) 720-9113
Peggy Riek
WASHINGTON, June 5, 2009 - The U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Food Safety and Inspection Service
(FSIS) today announced a public meeting to be held with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services'
Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to discuss the background, approach and scope
of a new interagency risk assessment on Listeria monocytogenes (Lm) at retail.
The public meeting will be held on Tuesday, June 23, 2009, from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. at L'Enfant Plaza Hotel, 480
L'Enfant Plaza, SW, Washington, DC 20024. The meeting will provide an opportunity for individuals, organizations
and other stakeholders to discuss the scope and objectives of the Interagency Retail Lm Risk Assessment and
to solicit comments and input on how FSIS and FDA may conduct the risk assessment.
Little is known about how Lm contamination occurs in retail facilities. Retail practices may result in
either cross-contamination from one product to another or through contamination from the retail environment.
It is important for food safety agencies to identify potential sources and practices that may contribute to
Lm contamination in retail establishments and identify interventions that would control Lm.
To understand Lm at retail, FSIS and FDA have initiated a joint interagency risk assessment that will
evaluate the dynamics of Lm contamination in retail facilities. This risk assessment will evaluate how
retail practices can affect contamination and the relative effectiveness of various retail interventions.
Various ready-to-eat foods, including cheeses, deli meats and deli-type salads, will be studied as part of the risk assessment.
Individuals are encouraged to pre-register to attend, and can do so at www.fsis.usda.gov or by contacting Sheila Johnson at
(202) 690-6498. The agenda and other related information will be available prior to the meeting on the FSIS Web site at
http://www.fsis.usda.gov/News_&_Events/
Meetings_&_Events/index.asp.
For further information, contact Janell Kause, Director, Risk Assessment Division, FSIS, Office of Public Health
Science at (202) 690-0286, or by e-mail at
Janell.Kause@fsis.usda.gov.
Persons requiring a sign language interpreter or other special accommodations should notify Sheila Johnson as soon as possible.
Written comments on this issue must be received on or before July 7, 2009. Comments can be sent to Docket Clerk, U.S. Department of
Agriculture, FSIS, Room 2534 South Agriculture Building, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, DC 20250, or
submitted through the Federal eRulemaking Portal at www.regulations.gov. All submissions received by mail or electronic
mail must reference the Food Safety and Inspection Service and include the docket number FSIS-2009-0012.
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Last Modified:
June 5, 2009 14:35:00 |
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