March 23/Alexandria, Va./Food and Drug Adminstration Documents and Publications -- The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is responding to objections and is denying requests that it has received for a hearing on the final rule which amended the food additive regulations to provide for the use of a bacteriophage preparation as an antimicrobial agent against Listeria monocytogenes on ready-to-eat (RTE) meat and poultry products. After reviewing the objections to the final rule and the requests for a hearing, the agency has concluded that the objections do not raise issues of material fact that justify a hearing or otherwise provide a basis for revoking the amendment to the regulation. FDA also is denying the request for a stay of the effective date of the final rule.

The effective date of the final rule was published in the Federal Register of August 18, 2006 (71 FR 47729).

For more information, contact James C. Wallwork, Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition (HFS-265), Food and Drug Administration, 5100 Paint Branch Pkwy., College Park, MD 20740-3835, 301-436-1303.

From the April 4, 2011, Prepared Foods E-dition