Press Releases
Kuster: FDA Extension of Comment Period for Food Safety Rules A Good First StepFDA announces extension of public comment period until November 15, 2013
Washington, DC,
August 8, 2013
Congresswoman Annie Kuster (NH-02) today welcomed the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) announcement that the public comment period for two proposed Food Safety Modernization Act rules has been extended for two months.
Congresswoman Annie Kuster (NH-02) today welcomed the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) announcement that the public comment period for two proposed Food Safety Modernization Act rules has been extended for two months. The comment period, which will now be open until November 15, 2013, allows farmers, consumers, and other members of the public to weigh in on two proposed food safety rules that could have far-reaching impacts on New Hampshire’s agricultural community. “I am pleased that the FDA has recognized the need for additional time to review the proposals,” Kuster said. “It is vital that the people of New Hampshire have ample opportunity to review these proposals and provide the FDA with information about how the rules could impact our small farms and local and organic food systems. I hope that the FDA will use this public input to improve these rules and ensure the safety of our food supply while supporting New Hampshire farmers.” In response to an earlier request led by Congresswoman Kuster with a bipartisan, bicameral group of 20 Senators and Representatives, the FDA will come to New Hampshire on later this month to engage with the public and hear firsthand how the new rules could burden small farmers throughout the region. The event, jointly hosted by the Nelson A. Rockefeller Center at Dartmouth College and the New Hampshire and Vermont Departments of Agriculture, will be held on Tuesday, August 20, 2013 from 9:30 AM to 12:30 PM at the Hopkins Center on the campus of Dartmouth College in Hanover. Although the questions and comments posed by the public will not be considered part of the official comment period, this session will offer an opportunity for the FDA to hear directly from farmers and consumers and help provide needed clarification about the proposed rules. Members of the public are also encouraged to submit their questions and comments for the official record in addition to attending the public input session. Additional information on the proposed rules and the August 20th public input session can be found from the New Hampshire Department of Agriculture, Markets & Food, Food and Drug Administration, and the UNH Cooperative Extension. ### |