FDA, CDC, FSIS, ARS, and CNPP Announce a Joint Public Meeting on Approaches to Reduce Sodium Consumption

FDA, CDC, FSIS, ARS, and CNPP Announce a Joint Public Meeting on Approaches to Reduce Sodium Consumption
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA); the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC); the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS), Agricultural Research Service (ASR), and the Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion (CNPP) are announcing a joint Public Meeting entitled, “Approaches to Reducing Sodium Consumption.” The Public Meeting will be held on Thursday, November 10, 2011 from 9:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. at the FDA White Oak Campus, The Great Room, Building 31, Room 1503, 10903 New Hampshire Avenue, Silver Spring, MD 20993.
This Public Meeting is part of a broader effort by FDA and other agencies to obtain comments, data and evidence relevant to the dietary intake of sodium as well as current and emerging approaches designed to promote sodium reduction and is tied to the joint FDA/FSIS September 15, 2011, request for information published in the Federal Register (76 FR 57050). The Public Meeting provides a forum for the agencies to hear directly from participants on the topics raised in the FR notice.
Listening to outside interested persons is the primary purpose of this meeting. FDA and FSIS recognize ongoing efforts by a number of members of the restaurant and packaged food industries to reduce sodium and appreciate the complexities of reducing sodium in foods. Continued input and support from industry and other interested organizations and individuals is important to support further progress on this significant public health issue. The sodium reduction effort is also part of the Department of Health and Human Services’ recently launched Million Hearts Initiative, the 2010 U.S. Dietary Guidelines for Americans, and Healthy People 2020. FDA and its partner agencies are seeking to foster an inclusive and productive dialogue among all interested persons involved in reducing sodium intake.
The Public Meeting will inform possible future action by the agencies. FDA, CDC, FSIS, ARS, and CNPP encourage substantive responses to the issues identified in the docket notice. The agencies will provide multiple opportunities for individuals to actively express their views by making presentations at the meeting, participating in breakout sessions and submitting written comments to the designated docket(s) by November 29, 2011. There will also be an interactive Webcast, with closed captioning.