The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) today launched a series of training videos to help food industry professionals prepare electronic submissions to the Office of Food Additive Safety (OFAS). The training videos complement the agency’s 2010 draft guidance on electronic submissions.

FDA is encouraging the use of electronic submissions because they offer advantages to both stakeholders and the agency. For OFAS, electronic submissions facilitate the review of the safety of food ingredients and packaging.

The Agency is posting six modules and an introductory video that discuss food ingredient and packaging submissions. FDA encourages all interested parties to view Module 1 first. Module 1 is applicable to all submission types, and serves as an overview to the electronic submission process. The remaining modules are tailored to provide information specific to different types of submissions:

• Module 2. Information Specific to Food and Color Additive Petition and Master File submissions
• Module 3. Information Specific to Food Contact Notifications (FCNs), Pre-Notification Consultations (PNCs) and Food Master Files (FMFs) for Food Contact Substances (FCSs)
• Module 4. Information Specific to Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS) Notice Submissions
• Module 5. Information Specific to Biotechnology Final Consultation Submissions
• Module 6. Information Specific to New Protein Consultation Submissions

For additional information on electronic submissions to OFAS, refer to the 2010 draft guidance.

For additional information about how FDA regulates the safety of food ingredients and food packaging, visit Ingredients, Packaging & Labeling.