The purpose of the public meeting, agency officials explained, is to discuss the two proposed rules aimed at strengthening assurances that imported food meets the same safety standards as food produced domestically. The Foreign Supplier Verification Program (FSVP) proposal would establish requirements for importers to verify that their foreign suppliers are implementing the modern, prevention-oriented food safety practices called for by FSMA. The second proposed rule on the Accreditation of Third-Party Auditors/Certification Bodies would strengthen the quality, objectivity and transparency of foreign food safety audits on which many U.S. food companies and importers currently rely to help manage the safety of their global food supply chains. The meeting is also designed to solicit oral stakeholder and other public comments on the proposed rules, inform the public about the rulemaking process (including how to submit comments, data and other information to the rulemaking dockets), and respond to questions about the proposed rules.

For general questions about the meeting or to request special accommodations due to a disability, contact: Juanita Yates, Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, Food and Drug Administration, 5100 Paint Branch Pkwy, College Park, MD 20740; telephone: 240-402-1731, e-mail: Juanita.Yates@fda.hhs.gov.

Public Meeting attendees are encouraged to register on-line or contact: Lauren Montgomery, Teya Technologies, LLC, 101 East 9th Avenue, Suite 9B, Anchorage, Alaska 99501; telephone: 443-833-4297; FAX: 907-562-5497; e-mail: lauren.montgomery@teyatech.com.