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IRAC Charter

Article I:  Purpose

(Revised June 2003 to reflect current status)

The May 1997 Food Safety Initiative report to the U.S. president recommended that all federal agencies with risk analysis responsibilities for food safety establish an Interagency Risk Assessment Consortium (IRAC). Through the Risk Assessment Consortium the agencies will collectively work to enhance communication and coordination between federal agencies and promote the conduct of scientific research that will facilitate risk assessments. Such research will assist the regulatory agencies in fulfilling their specific food-safety risk management mandates.

The goals of the Risk Assessment Consortium include:

 

Article II:  Membership

In 1998, the Risk Assessment Consortium membership initially comprised:

Agency membership in the Consortium has changed and will continue to fluctuate as additional agencies and organizations are identified. The current list of member agencies will be maintained for public review. Each member shall designate a representative as described in Article V.

Article III:  Chair

FDA Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition is the lead agency for the Risk Assessment Consortium and will designate a representative to serve as chair. The role of the chair will be to facilitate planning, coordination, and communication among Consortium members.

Article IV:  Staff Support Service

Staff support for the activities of the Risk Assessment Consortium will be provided by the lead agency. Other members may provide additional support staff as necessary.

Article V:  Member Representation

The Risk Assessment Consortium seeks membership from all federal agencies with risk analysis responsibilities related to food safety, including food safety and human health research. Additional federal agencies, when identified, will also be asked to join the Risk Assessment Consortium.
The Risk Assessment Consortium representative serves as its agency’s scientific delegate. Although the Risk Assessment Consortium is not a policy-setting group, representatives should be knowledgeable of their respective agency policy goals and objectives to ensure that the Risk Assessment Consortium activities are consistent with those goals and objectives.
Initial representatives were appointed by individual federal member agencies in response to a July 14, 1997, request from FDA for a scientific/technical representative. Current representatives reflect a cross-section of scientific expertise and experience.
Agencies may change the official representative as needed. The agencies may, on an ad hoc basis, have additional or alternate representatives participate in Risk Assessment Consortium activities. Selection of official representatives should be consistent with the goals of the Risk Assessment Consortium described above.

Article VI:  Meetings

The Risk Assessment Consortium will meet on a quarterly basis at a time and location chosen by the chair. Additional meetings may be held at the call of the chair or at the request of a quorum of members. Working groups of the Consortium will meet as needed.
The chair will request agenda items from representatives for all quarterly meetings.
The chair will provide a summary report of each quarterly meeting for distribution to the membership and make each report available for public inspection on the website mentioned above.
Meetings open to the public will be held at least annually or as otherwise needed. Opportunities for comments by interested groups will be provided at the public meeting.

Article VII:  Work Product

The development of work products will be coordinated by the chair.
Clearance of any and all final work products within individual member agencies is the responsibility of that agency’s representative. Each member agency should establish protocols with their representatives to assure timely clearance

Article VIII:  Joint Institute for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition

The JIFSAN Food Safety Risk Analysis Clearinghouse serves as an electronic catalogue of risk assessment information (see Article I, Goal 3) and includes a listing of the activities of the interagency Risk Assessment Consortium. The Risk Assessment Consortium may also request that JIFSAN assist in facilitating scientific exchange between industry, academia, and consumer groups in a non-regulatory environment, through the established JIFSAN proposal process.

Article IX: Workgroups

The chair, after consultation with Consortium representatives, may establish workgroups of representatives, their alternates, or other Federal employees, as deemed necessary, to facilitate and carry out effectively the responsibilities of the Risk Assessment Consortium. Such workgroups will report to the full Consortium.

Article X:  Policy Council

A Risk Assessment Consortium Policy Council will provide general direction and oversight to the Consortium, including the approval of an annual program plan and final work products. The Risk Assessment Consortium Policy Council will be comprised of a designated senior policy official from each member agency and will be co-chaired by the Senior Science Advisor, Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition and the Senior Science Advisor for Risk Assessment, Food Safety and Inspection Service. Each agency’s senior policy official should work closely with their representative.

Article XI: Budget

Funding for quarterly meetings and workgroup meetings will be provided by the host agency. Expenses for the annual public meeting will be funded by the lead agency. Member agencies may be asked to provide “in kind” support and are responsible for expenses incurred by their representatives. Resources for fulfilling specific projects requested by members (e.g. Risk Assessment task forces and similar activities) are similarly the responsibility of the individual member agencies.

Article XII:  Effective Date

This Charter shall become effective on the latest date affixed below and may be modified with supplemental agreements signed by the member agencies

Article XII:  Approval Signatures

Risk Assessment Consortium Member Agencies

 

________________
Director, Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition
FDA, DHHS

________________
Administrator, Food Safety and Inspection Service
USDA

________________
Associate Director for Epidemiologic Science, National Center for Infectious Disease
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
DHHS

________________
Director, National Center for Toxicological Research
FDA, DHHS

________________
Deputy Director, National Institutes of Health
DHHS

________________
Chief Economist
USDA

________________
Director, Center for Veterinary Medicine
FDA, DHHS

________________
Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries
National Marine Fisheries Service NOAA

________________
Assistant Administrator, Office of Water
USEPA

________________
Administrator, Economic Research Service
USDA

________________
Administrator, Agricultural Research Service
USDA

________________
Administrator, Animal & Plant
Health Inspection Service
USDA

________________
Director, Department of Defense
Veterinary Service Activity
DOD

________________
Acting Administrator,
Cooperative State Research, Education & Extension Service
USDA

________________
Acting Assistant Administrator
Office of Prevention, Pesticides and Toxic Substances
USEPA

________________
Assistant Administrator
Office of Research and Development
USEPA

________________
Assistant Commissioner for Women’s Health
Office of Women’s Health
FDA, DHHS

________________
Deputy Administrator
U.S. Agency for International Development

________________
Acting Deputy Administrator
Food and Nutrition Service, USDA