Dartmouth to Host a Public Input Session on Proposed Rules to Federal Food Safety Law #fsma #vt #nh #ag

Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) Listening Session
 with officials from the US Food & Drug Administration (FDA)
August 20, 2013 Alumni Hall Auditorium at the Hopkins Center, Dartmouth College
9:30 a.m.—12:30 p.m. 

Jointly hosted by
the NH Dept. of Agriculture, Markets & Food and the VT Agency of Agriculture, Food and Markets. 

The Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) is a 2011 law to reform our nation’s food safety laws. FSMA aims to ensure that the U.S. food supply is safe by shifting the focus from responding to contamination to preventing it.  The Food and Drug Administration is responsible for implementing the law and has proposed two rules to begin this implementation.  As drafted, the two rules may have far reaching impacts that could threaten small farms in New England and our growing sector of farmers markets, co-ops, and other local food venues.

In order to help the FDA understand how these rules will impact New England, the Nelson A. Rockefeller Center and the New Hampshire and Vermont Departments of Agriculture, in collaboration with Senator Jeanne Shaheen and Congresswoman Ann McLane Kuster ’78, will host a public input session so that the FDA can hear directly from farmers and consumers.  Combined with comments received during the ongoing public comment period, this input session will help the FDA to refine and revise the proposals to ensure that the final rules promote food safety while protecting New England’s unique agricultural sector.

For more information about the event, you can also contact: 
Vermont officials 
Shelley Mehlenbacher or Abbey Willard
New Hampshire officials 
Gail McWilliam Jellie or Jennifer Gornnert