CSMS Message: 98-000155

TO: ABI FILERS

FROM: FOOD & DRUG ADMINISTRATION

SUBJECT:BUG FOUND IN FDA PRODUCT CODE BUILDER SOFTWARE

FDA HAS DISCOVERED A BUG IN VERSION 2.0 OF THE FDA PRODUCT CODE
BUILDER (PCB) SOFTWARE. THE BUG ONLY INVOLVES THE "VERIFICATION" FUNCTION
OF THE PCB.
THE LATEST UPDATE DELETED SEVERAL PICS. AFTER YOU RUN THE UPDATE
AND IF, WITHOUT CLOSING AND RESTARTING THE PCB, THE VERIFICATION FUNCTION
IS USED TO CHECK ON THE DELETION, THE CODES SEEM DELETED. WHEN THE PCB IS
CLOSED AND RESTARTED, THE DELETED PICS REAPPEAR. THIS BUG AFFECTS BOTH
THE PIC AND SUBCLASS CODES. THE OTHER CODES DELETE AND STAY DELETED.
THE BUG DOES NOT AFFECT THE BUILDER FUNCTION. ONLY THE CORRECT
SUBCLASSES AND PICS APPEAR IN THE SELECT LISTS AT THE BOTTOM OF THE
SCREEN.
FDA WILL REVISE THE SOFTWARE TO REMOVE THIS BUG. WHEN THE REVISION
IS AVAILABLE, FDA WILL SUPPLY IT ON THE FDA INTERNET WEB PAGE FOR
DOWNLOADING. FOR THOSE FILERS NOT ABLE TO DOWNLOAD THE PCB FROM THE
INTERNET, FDA WILL PROVIDE THE CORRECTED SOFTWARE RELEASE ON DISK;
HOWEVER, THEY HAVE NOT ESTABLISHED THE MECHANISM FOR THIS PROCESS.
MEANWHILE, VERSION 2.0 OF THE PCB CAN CONTINUE TO BE USED IF YOU
TAKE PRECAUTIONS. WHEN VERIFYING A PRODUCT CODE, THE FOLLOWING PICS SEEM
CORRECT ALTHOUGH THEY HAVE BEEN DELETED. DO NOT USE THESE PICS (5TH
POSITION OF PRODUCT CODE). SEE THE SUGGESTED VALID PIC REPLACEMENTS
WHICH FOLLOW.

INVALID PICS IN THE PCB

A RAW
G PACKAGED FOODS
J PACKAGED FOOD (NOT COMMERCIALLY STERILE)

VALID PIC REPLACEMENTS

FOR A B, C, OR D AS APPROPRIATE
G T
J T
V NONE, THIS IS NOW A SUBCLASS CODE.

FOOD & DRUG ADMINISTRATION DATA SYSTEMS