November 3, 2005

USDA and HHS Agencies to Hold Public Meeting on the Jurisdiction
of Certain Food Categories

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), in the Department of Health and Human Services, and the Food Safety Inspection Service (FSIS), in the U. S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), have jointly announced a public meeting to discuss and solicit public comment on a consistent regulatory approach concerning the jurisdiction over certain food products that contain meat and poultry. The meeting will be held December 15, 2005, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center, 5555 North River Road, Rosemont, IL.

By law, FSIS has authority over meat and poultry products. FDA has authority over all foods not under FSIS' jurisdiction. As the principal regulators, FSIS and FDA formed a working group to examine jurisdictional issues for food categories that contain meat and poultry ingredients. The group concluded that past decisions involving certain product categories are no longer consistent, largely due to marketplace changes. For example, FSIS regulates corn dogs, while FDA regulates bagel dogs.

FSIS and FDA are holding the public meeting to invite public input on the approach recommended by the working group, and to help determine what, if any, administrative, operational, marketing, or labeling costs may be associated with the contemplated regulatory changes. Those interested in attending the public meeting can register online or by faxing registration information (including name, title, firm name, address, telephone number, e-mail address, and fax number) to 301-436-2605 at least 5 working days prior to the public meeting.

FSIS and FDA are also accepting public comments on the Federal Register notice containing the working group's recommendations. Comments may be submitted to Docket No. 05-013N, as indicated in the Federal Register notice available online.