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Docket ID: [Docket No. FSIS-2008-0013]

NOTICE: NOTICES

ACTION: Better Communications, Better Public Health Outcomes:

DOCUMENT ACTION: Notice of public meeting.

SUBJECT CATEGORY: Better Communications, Better Public Health Outcomes: Strategies for Improved Coordination During Foodborne Outbreaks

DATES: The public meeting will be held on Thursday, May 15, 2008, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

DOCUMENT SUMMARY: This notice is announcing that the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS), the Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition (CFSAN), and the National Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), will cosponsor a twoday summit that will include a public meeting on May 15, 2008, and an invitationonly simulation exercise on May 16, 2008. The purpose of the summit is to have a discussion with stakeholders on improved information sharing and coordination during multijurisdictional foodborne outbreak investigations.

SUMMARY: Strategies for Improved Coordination During Foodborne Outbreaks,

SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION

According to the CDC, foodborne infections result in approximately 76 million illnesses, 325,000 hospitalizations, and 5,000 deaths in the U.S. each year. FSIS collaborates with local, state, and federal public health agencies to investigate foodborne illness outbreaks associated with FSISregulated products.

Foodborne illness investigations that span multiple agencies and jurisdictions are more common today because the U.S. food supply chain has become increasingly complex due to a wider distribution of products that are produced domestically and internationally. Further, advances in epidemiologic and laboratory surveillance have enabled the identification of multijurisdictional foodborne outbreaks more readily. Successful investigations of these multijurisdictional outbreaks require not only technical competence in epidemiologic and laboratory data analysis, but also efficient information sharing and coordination among all stakeholders. Mitigation of the impact of a foodborne illness outbreak and protection of the public health depends on effective and timely communication to consumers regarding symptoms, treatment, prevention, rapid identification of contaminated food products, and removal of those products from commerce whenever possible. The response to an outbreak by public health agencies should be consistent, comprehensive, and timely in order to effectively protect the public health. Improvements in communications and coordination among local, state, and federal public health agencies and the regulated industries during these investigations are essential to achieving this goal.

Because FSIS is committed to partnering with all members of the food safety and public health communities in an effort to make these critical improvements, FSIS will hold a summit to facilitate discussion with and among stakeholders on ways to improve communication and collaboration during multijurisdictional foodborne illness investigations.

A public meeting will be held on May 15, 2008, and an outbreak simulation exercise will be conducted on May 16, 2008. Participation in the exercise will be by invitation only.

Topics on the agenda for the public meeting include: Stakeholders' perspectives on both successes and challenges to effective collaboration during multijurisdictional outbreaks, and Ongoing projects and initiatives to improve foodborne outbreak response.

Additional Public Notification

Public awareness of all segments of rulemaking and policy development is important. Consequently, in an effort to ensure that minorities, women, and persons with disabilities are aware of this notice, FSIS will announce it online through the FSIS Web page located at http://www.fsis.usda.gov/regulations/2008NoticesIndex/.

FSIS will also make copies of this Federal Register publication available through the FSIS Constituent Update, which is used to provide information regarding FSIS policies, procedures, regulations, Federal Register notices, FSIS public meetings, and other types of information that could affect or would be of interest to constituents and stakeholders. The Update is communicated via Listserv, a free electronic mail subscription service for industry, trade groups, consumer interest groups, health professionals, and other individuals who have asked to be included. The Update is also available on the FSIS Web page. Through Listserv and the Web page, FSIS is able to provide information to a much broader and more diverse audience. In addition, FSIS offers an electronic mail subscription service, which provides automatic and customized access to selected food safety news and information. This service is available at http://www.fsis.usda.gov/ newsandevents/emailsubscription/. Options range from recalls to export information to regulations, directives, and notices. Customers can add or delete subscriptions themselves, and have the option to password protect their accounts.

Done at Washington, DC, on April 22, 2008.
Alfred V. Almanza,
Administrator.
[FR Doc. E89168 Filed 42508; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410DMP

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT Bonnie Kissler, Phone: (404) 562-5940,