SACRAMENTO – The California Department of Food and Agriculture will host a listening session on the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) Updated Proposed Rules for Produce Safety, Preventive Controls for Human Food, and Preventative Controls for Animal Food on Thursday, Nov. 6, in Sacramento.

The listening session will be held at the Hyatt Regency, 1209 L St, Sacramento, and is scheduled as follows:

– Updated Proposed Rule for Produce Safety from 8:30 to 10:30 a.m.;
– Updated Proposed Rule for Preventive Controls for Human Food from 10:30 a.m. to noon;
– and the Updated Proposed Rule for Preventative Controls for Animal Food from 2 to 3:30 p.m.

The FDA FSMA was signed into law by President Obama on Jan. 4, 2011. It aims to ensure that the U.S. food supply is safe by shifting the focus of federal regulators from responding to contamination to preventing it. On Sept. 29, 2014, FDA issued the updated proposed rules for comment.

The purpose of the listening session is to provide industry with an overview of the updated proposed rules, solicit comments, respond to questions, and inform the public about the rulemaking process.

Invited speakers include: Karen Ross, Secretary, California Department of Food and Agriculture; and Michael Taylor, Deputy Commissioner for Foods & Veterinary Medicine, U.S. Food & Drug Administration.

The listening session is sponsored by the California Certified Organic Farmers, California Citrus Mutual, California Farm Bureau Federation, California Fresh Fruit Association, California Grain & Feed Association and Western Growers Association.

For more information about the FSMA listening sessions, including agenda and registration, visit: www.cdfa.ca.gov/is/fsma .

Due to limited space you must preregister; there is no cost for registration.