Next week, the Food Safety & Inspection Service of the U.S. Department of Agriculture is  putting  reducing the Incidence of E. coli O157:H7 in Raw Beef on the menu in meetings with its many stakeholders.

The public sessions will be held on Wednesday, April 9, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Thursday, April 10, from 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Holiday Inn Georgetown, 2101 Wisconsin Ave., NW, Washington, DC.

William Marler, managing partner at Marler Clark, L.L.P., speaks at 10:30 a.m., on Wednesday, April 9.   The entire two-day agenda can be found here.

Individuals are encouraged to pre-register to attend in person or via teleconference, and should visit www.fsis.usda.gov or contact Sheila Johnson at (202) 690-6498 or by e-mail at Sheila.Johnson@fsis.usda.gov.  There will be opportunities for public comment on both days.

Foodproductiondaily.com recently reported:

Dr. Richard Raymond, US under secretary for food safety, said that despite major advances in battling foodborne illnesses like E-coli in the country during the last decade, reduction levels have recently levelled out.

"It is time for another series of bold, strong moves based on knowledge and science to produce further significant reductions in illnesses attributed to the products we regulate," he stated. "We aim to prevent and not just respond to illnesses, and consumers, industry and our public health partners are critical partners in our long term strategy and we look forward to our continuing collaborative relationship to ensure food safety."

That story can be found here.