FSIS has several ongoing initiatives to create information exchange networks between government and non-government experts on chemical hazards in the food chain, with a focus on meat, poultry, and egg products. Developing formal and informal exchanges with scientists in the public and private sectors who have experience in exposure science, environmental contaminants, toxicology, chemistry, and feed technology, is a central pillar of this process. Experts, such as those who are members of ISES, could provide valuable feedback to FSIS regarding its hazard identification program. In addition to building channels of communication between FSIS and external scientists, the Agency also relies heavily on its partnerships with other federal agencies, including the Environmental Protection Agency and the Food and Drug Administration. FSIS has strong ties with the EPA and FDA and is looking to strengthen these relationships by identifying experts within these Agencies to improve further the intelligence on chemical hazards that FSIS already receives. FSIS also intends to lay the groundwork for the formation of a chemical advisory committee, which would complement what FSIS has in place currently to advise on microbiological hazards. Finally, FSIS intends to contract with a food safety expert to assist FSIS in developing this more robust intelligence network. The goal of these collaborative efforts is to enable FSIS to reconsider how chemical hazards are identified for testing within the NRP for meat, poultry, and egg products.

Scanning the horizon through information-based hazard identification: New advances and opportunities to get involved

248th National Meeting (2014)

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