[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 226 (Friday, November 24, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Pages 67878-67879]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E6-19886]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Food and Drug Administration

[Docket No. 2006N-0453]


Food Defense Workshop; 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), Southwest Regional Office (SWRO), in co-sponsorship with 
the Risk Management Small Business Development Center (RMSBDC), is 
announcing a public workshop entitled ``Food Defense Workshop.'' This 
public workshop is intended to provide information about food defense, 
the regulations authorized by the Public Health Security and 
Bioterrorism Preparedness and Response Act of 2002 (the Bioterrorism 
Act), and other related subjects to FDA-regulated food facilities 
(farms, manufacturers, processors, distributors, retailers, and 
restaurants).
    Date and Time: This public workshop will be held on March 29, 2007, 
from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
    Location: The public workshop will be held at the Hoblitzelle 
Auditorium at the Bill Priest Campus of El Centro College, 1402 Corinth 
St., Dallas, TX 75215.
    Contact: David Arvelo, Food and Drug Administration, Southwest 
Regional Office, 4040 North Central Expressway, Suite 900, Dallas, TX 
75204, 214-253-4952, FAX: 214-253-4970, or e-mail: 
[email protected].
    Registration: Registration by March 15, 2007, is encouraged. The 
RMSBDC has a $20 registration fee to cover the cost of facilities and 
refreshments. Please submit your registration as soon as possible. 
Those accepted into the workshop will receive confirmation. 
Registration at the site is not guaranteed but may be possible on a 
space available basis on the day of the public workshop beginning at 8 
a.m. The cost of registration at the site is $25, payable to RMSBDC. If 
you need special accommodations due to a disability, please contact 
David Arvelo (see the Contact section of this document) at least 7 days 
in advance.
    Registration Form Instructions: To register, please complete the 
RMSBDC registration form and submit along with payment to RMSBDC, Attn: 
Saira Roberts, 1402 Corinth St., Dallas, TX 75215. You may fax the 
completed registration form to RMSBDC at 214-860-5867. To obtain a copy 
of the registration form, please call RMSBDC at 214-860-5887 or 214-
860-5849. The registration form is also available online at http://www.ntsbdc.org/.
    Transcripts: Transcripts of the public workshop will not be 
available due to the format of this workshop. Workshop handouts may be 
requested through the Freedom of Information Office (HFI-35), Food and 
Drug Administration, 5600 Fishers Lane, rm. 6-30, 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 defense inquiries from FDA-
regulated food facilities (farms, manufacturers, processors, 
distributors, retailers, and restaurants) originating from the area 
covered by the FDA Dallas District Office. The SWRO is presenting 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

[[Page 67879]]

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 Small Business Representative 
Program, 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) that requires outreach 
activities by Government agencies directed to small businesses.
    The goal of this public workshop is to present information that 
will enable FDA-regulated food facilities (farms, manufacturers, 
processors, distributors, retailers, and restaurants) to better 
understand the regulations authorized by the Bioterrorism Act, and food 
defense guidance, especially in light of growing concerns about food 
defense. Information presented will be based on agency position as 
articulated through regulation, guidance, and information previously 
made available to the public. Topics to be discussed at the workshop 
include the following: (1) Food defense awareness, (2) ALERT: The 
Basics, (3) FDA actions on bioterrorism legislation (food supply), (4) 
food recalls, (5) crisis management, and other related topics. FDA 
expects that participation in this public workshop will provide 
regulated industry with greater understanding of FDA regulations and 
guidance related to food defense and increase voluntary compliance and 
food defense awareness.

    Dated: November 17, 2006.
Jeffrey Shuren,
Assistant Commissioner for Policy.
[FR Doc. E6-19886 Filed 11-22-06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4160-01-S