Sponsored by ANSI, the Grocery Manufacturers Association (GMA), the National Fisheries Institute (NFI), and the Seafood Products Association (SPA), the meeting will provide an interactive and engaging forum for food industry participants to discuss how conformity assessment-based solutions can build confidence in food safety and strengthen the global supply chain.

Specific goals of the Bolstering Consumer Confidence forum include:

• Gain stakeholder input on what should be included in third-party food safety audit criteria

• Address technical and operational information for use by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) that will guide its infrastructure needs

• Characterize the process of evaluating third-party certification programs, fostering broader recognition by the FDA of these programs

• Identify best practices for a global food safety system that recognizes existing audit schemes used commercially today

• Verify the proper implementation of food safety systems by suppliers

• Gather input from attendees on how expert firms can benchmark audit schemes, accredit certification firms, and certify auditors for FDA recognition

• Obtain guidance from the Department of Health and Human Services and the shrimp industry regarding certification of foreign processors of aquacultured shrimp

The meeting will be held on December 2-3, 2008, at L’Enfant Plaza Hotel in Washington, DC. A detailed agenda and registration information are forthcoming and will be posted to www.ansi.org/events as soon as they are available.

Inquiries on the forum can be directed to pr@ansi.org.