Food and Nutrition Board Forum

The Food Forum was established in 1993 as a mechanism for diverse groups to discuss food, food safety, food technology, nutrition, and food science issues and to identify possible approaches for addressing these issues by taking into consideration the often-complex interactions among industry, academia, regulatory agencies and consumers. In the past, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition (CFSAN) provided funds to the National Academy of Science (NAS), Institute of Medicine (IOM) to support the Food Forum. Examples of technical areas that the Food Forum attendees have been exploring in its discussions include: • Sustainable Diets: Food for Healthy People and a Healthy Planet • The Human Microbiome, Diet, and Health • Leveraging food technology for obesity prevention • Reducing the rates of nutrition-related risk factors for chronic disease • Optimizing health through improved nutrition • Development of dietary guidance for non-nutrient dietary components • Providing healthy and safe foods for older adults • Reducing sodium in foods • Front-of-pack nutrition labeling • Managing food safety practices from farm to table • Use of nanotechnology in food products • Nutrition standards for foods in schools • Applications and validation of biomarkers and surrogate endpoints • Nutritional risk assessment: methods and data challenges The Food Forum provides a meeting ground at which representatives from government, industry, academia, and public interest groups can openly communicate about nutrition, food safety and cosmetics issues. Where applicable, members have been chosen for their professional perspective as well as their scientific credentials. The Food Forum meetings are designed to identify high-priority problems and issues, improve understanding of their causes, and pursue possible approaches for resolving them. At the conclusion of a meeting, the Forum Project director, in consultation with the Forum Chair and membership, prepares an agenda for the next meeting. In setting the agenda and priories for the Forum, the members consider criteria such as the magnitude of the public health problem, the extent of member interest in the issue, and the unique contribution the Forum can make relative to other activities being conducted by their public or private agencies. Final decisions for the agenda are based on the Food Forum deliberations and on the availability of Forum members and invited outside attendees. Independently and not as an agent of the Government, the Contractor shall furnish the necessary materials, services, facilities, and otherwise do all things necessary for or incident to the performance of the work set forth herein. 2.1 The Contractor shall provide quarterly reports (every three (3) months) on the status of all planned activities and names of participants who are involved in the work of the Forum. 2.2 The contractor shall provide copies of all reports and proceedings from the Forum directly to the Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR). 2.3 The Contractor shall provide a final report which details all activities under the contract. The final report shall be publicly available. This notice is not a request for competitive quotes. However, any party that believes it is capable of meeting the requirements as stated herein may submit a written response, i.e. capability statement, which clearly supports and demonstrates its ability to perform the requirements. Any response shall be received by the response date and time of this notice. Any response shall undergo review to determine if it can meet the requirements. A determination by the Government not to compete this proposed requirement based upon a response to this notice is solely within the discretion of the Government.