Treatment of Live Poultry Before Slaughter, 56624-56626 [05-19378]
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Federal Register / Vol. 70, No. 187 / Wednesday, September 28, 2005 / Notices
hypotheses and provide key indicators
on consumers’ attitude or perception on
dietary and safety issues.
Although ERS plans to have four
surveys per year, unanticipated events,
such as unforeseen food safety
incidents, or large swings in sales
volume, prices, or quantities of major
food products, may demand out-of-cycle
surveys be conducted to keep
information current. For similar reasons,
topics for future surveys cannot be
determined with certainty.
Estimate of Burden: The reporting
burden on each respondent completing
a quarterly survey is estimated to be 7
minutes. Each quarterly survey will
have 12–14 questions.
Respondents: The panel completing
each survey is composed of consumers
who have already been recruited by AC
Nielsen and agree to report all grocery
purchases and participate in several
surveys through the Internet.
Estimated Number of Respondents:
The sample size for AC Nielsen’s online
Internet survey is 6,600 respondents.
Estimated Total Burden on
Respondents: 770 hours (7 minutes per
survey x 6,600 respondents) for each
quarterly survey. The annual burden for
four surveys totals 3,080 hours.
Comments: Comments are invited on
(a) whether the proposed collection of
information is necessary for the proper
performance of the functions of the
Agency, including whether the
information will have practical utility;
(b) the accuracy of the Agency’s
estimate of the burden of the proposed
collection of information, including the
validity of the methodology and
assumptions used; (c) ways to enhance
the quality, utility, and clarity of the
information to be collected; and (d)
ways to minimize the burden of the
collection of information on those who
are to respond, including the use of
appropriate automated, electronic,
mechanical, or other technology.
Comments should be sent to the address
stated in the preamble. All responses to
this notice will be summarized and
included in the request for Office of
Management and Budget (OMB)
approval. All comments will also
become a matter of public record.
Dated: September 19, 2005.
Susan E. Offutt,
Administrator, Economic Research Service,
USDA.
[FR Doc. 05–19308 Filed 9–27–05; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410–18–P
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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Food Safety and Inspection Service
[Docket No. 04–037N]
Treatment of Live Poultry Before
Slaughter
Food Safety and Inspection
Service, USDA.
ACTION: Notice.
AGENCY:
SUMMARY: The Food Safety and
Inspection Service (FSIS) is reminding
all poultry slaughter establishments
that, under the Poultry Products
Inspection Act (PPIA) and Agency
regulations, live poultry must be
handled in a manner that is consistent
with good commercial practices, which
means they should be treated humanely.
Although there is no specific federal
humane handling and slaughter statute
for poultry, under the PPIA, poultry
products are more likely to be
adulterated if, among other
circumstances, they are produced from
birds that have not been treated
humanely, because such birds are more
likely to be bruised or to die other than
by slaughter.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Lynn Dickey, PhD, Director, Regulations
and Petitions Policy Staff, Office of
Policy, Program, and Employee
Development, Food Safety and
Inspection Service, Cotton Annex
Building, 300 12th Street, SW., Room
112, Washington, DC 20250–3700; (202)
720–5627.
Comments
FSIS invites interested persons to
submit comments on this notice. Submit
comments by October 28, 2005.
Comments may be submitted by any of
the following methods:
• Mail, including floppy disks or CD–
ROM’s, and hand- or courier-delivered
items: Send to Docket Clerk, U.S.
Department of Agriculture, Food Safety
and Inspection Service, 300 12th Street,
SW., Room 102 Cotton Annex,
Washington, DC 20250.
All submissions received must
include the Agency name and docket
number 04–037N. All comments
submitted in response to this notice, as
well as research and background
information used by FSIS in developing
this document, will be available for
public inspection in the FSIS Docket
Room at the address listed above
between 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m.,
Monday through Friday. The comments
also will be posted on the Agency’s Web
site at https://www.fsis.usda.gov/
regulations/2004_Notices_Index/
Index.asp.
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Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
The Poultry Products Inspection Act
(PPIA) and Implementing Regulations
FSIS considers humane methods of
handling animals and humane slaughter
operations a high priority and takes
seriously any violations of applicable
laws and regulations. In poultry
operations, employing humane methods
of handling and slaughtering that are
consistent with good commercial
practices increases the likelihood of
producing unadulterated product.
FSIS regulations describe the
operating procedures that poultry
processors must follow to ensure
sanitary processing, proper inspection,
and the production of poultry products
that are not adulterated. Under 9 CFR
381.71, FSIS condemns poultry
showing, on ante mortem inspection,
certain diseases or conditions. Bruising
is one condition that may result in
condemnation (9 CFR 381.89). Bruises
are likely to result when birds are not
treated humanely.
Moreover, the PPIA (21 U.S.C.
453(g)(5)), as well as the Agency’s
regulations (9 CFR 381.90), provide that
carcasses of poultry showing evidence
of having died from causes other than
slaughter are considered adulterated
and condemned. The regulations also
require that poultry be slaughtered in
accordance with good commercial
practices, in a manner that results in
thorough bleeding of the poultry
carcass, and ensures that breathing has
stopped before scalding so that the birds
do not drown (9 CFR 381.65(b)).
Compliance with these requirements
helps ensure that poultry are treated
humanely.
The Reason FSIS Is Issuing This Notice
at This Time
FSIS is issuing this notice because
there has been considerable
congressional and public interest in the
humane treatment of animals, including
poultry. As FSIS explained in the
September 9, 2004, Federal Register, in
recent years, Congress has taken various
actions to strengthen USDA’s resources
and to ensure that FSIS enforces the
statutory provisions concerning the
humane handling and slaughter of
livestock (69 FR 54625). In addition, the
U.S. Department of Agriculture has
received several letters from members of
Congress expressing concerns regarding
the humane treatment of poultry and
supporting legislation to include
provisions for the humane treatment of
poultry in the Humane Methods of
Slaughter Act (HMSA). The HMSA of
1978 (7 U.S.C.1901 et seq.) requires that
humane methods be used for handling
E:\FR\FM\28SEN1.SGM
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Federal Register / Vol. 70, No. 187 / Wednesday, September 28, 2005 / Notices
and slaughtering livestock but does not
include comparable provisions
concerning the handling and slaughter
of poultry.
In the September 9, 2004, Federal
Register, FSIS also explained that, in
addition to this congressional interest,
FSIS has received over 20,000 letters
from the public (individuals, consumer
organizations, and animal welfare
organizations) over the last few years
expressing concerns regarding the
humane treatment of livestock (69 FR
54626). Some of these letters also
expressed concerns regarding the
humane treatment of poultry. In
addition, the U.S. Department of
Agriculture has received nearly 13,000
e-mail messages supporting legislation
to include provisions for the humane
treatment of poultry in the HMSA.
Finally, FSIS received a petition from
the Animal Legal Defense Fund, dated
November 21, 1995, requesting that
FSIS amend the Federal poultry
products inspection regulations to
require humane standards of slaughter
for poultry. FSIS denied the petition
because, as is explained above, there is
no specific federal humane handling
and slaughter statute for poultry.
However, as is also explained above, the
PPIA and Agency regulations do require
that live poultry be handled in a manner
that is consistent with good commercial
practices, and that they not die from
causes other than slaughter.
Undesirable Consequences of Not
Handling Poultry in Accordance With
Good Commercial Practices
The abuse of poultry by killing them
by an unacceptable method or by
treating them in a manner that is not
consistent with good commercial
practices may render the poultry
product adulterated and, hence, not
acceptable for human food. The dead
birds are considered to be cadavers
(carcasses of poultry showing evidence
of having died from causes other than
slaughter) and are condemned. These
carcasses are not of good quality, are
undesirable, and are of no profitable
advantage to establishments, as they are
not marketable and could not be sold. In
contrast, the use of good commercial
practices tends to produce poultry that
is processed according to federal
requirements, and that is wholesome
and marketable.
It is a prohibited act to slaughter
poultry in any way that is not in
compliance with the PPIA (21 U.S.C.
458(a)(1)). If birds hung on the slaughter
line expire prior to slaughter due to
mishandling, or are being killed in a
manner that does not comply with good
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16:02 Sep 27, 2005
Jkt 205001
commercial practices, the resultant
product is adulterated under the PPIA.
FSIS Perspective on the Treatment of
Poultry
Many poultry operations may not be
aware of industry guidelines pertaining
to the treatment of poultry at slaughter.
FSIS has included a list of references at
the end of this notice that may assist
poultry slaughter establishments in
considering means of assessing or
improving their handling and slaughter
procedures. One method poultry
operations may wish to examine is a
systematic approach to ensuring that
poultry is handled and slaughtered in a
manner that is consistent with good
commercial practices. By a ‘‘systematic
approach,’’ FSIS means one in which
establishments focus on treating poultry
in such a manner as to minimize
excitement, discomfort, and accidental
injury the entire time that live poultry
is held in connection with slaughter.
Establishments can achieve such an
approach by:
(1) Assessing under what
circumstances poultry may experience
excitement, discomfort, or accidental
injury while being handled in
connection with slaughter;
(2) Taking steps to minimize the
possibility of such excitement,
discomfort, and accidental injury; and
(3) Evaluating periodically how
poultry are being handled and
slaughtered to ensure (a) that any
excitement, discomfort, or accidental
injury is being minimized; (b) that all
poultry are slaughtered in a manner that
results in thorough bleeding of the
poultry carcass; and (c) that breathing
has stopped before scalding.
In the first step of a systematic
approach, establishments conduct an
assessment of where handling problems
may occur. They would consider such
factors as (1) whether they are providing
training for their employees in handling
live poultry, (2) whether feed and water
withdrawal is kept to the minimum
level consistent with good processing
practices, (3) whether they have
appropriately designed and maintained
facilities for bird delivery to the
establishment, (4) whether holding areas
are equipped with an adequate number
of fans to ensure proper ventilation for
birds, (5) whether stunning equipment
(if applicable) and killing equipment are
constantly monitored to ensure proper
functioning for humane processing, (6)
whether all poultry are dead before
entering the scalder, and (7) whether
establishment personnel and equipment
handle poultry in a manner that
minimizes broken legs and wings. These
factors are based on information
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56625
provided in the National Chicken
Council Animal Welfare Guidelines and
Audit Checklist, which is included in
the list of references at the end of this
notice.
As a second step of a systematic
approach, establishments determine
whether their facilities are designed and
maintained to prevent excitement,
discomfort, and accidental injury to
poultry the entire time that live poultry
is held in connection with slaughter.
In the third step, establishments
periodically evaluate their handling
methods to ensure that their employees
are in fact minimizing excitement,
discomfort, or accidental injury to live
poultry, that their methods ensure all
poultry are slaughtered in a manner that
results in thorough bleeding of the
carcass, and that their methods ensure
poultry breathing has stopped before
scalding.
Additional Public Notification
Public awareness of all segments of
rulemaking and policy development is
important. Consequently, in an effort to
ensure that the public and in particular
minorities, women, and persons with
disabilities, are aware of this notice,
FSIS will announce it on-line through
the FSIS Web page located at https://
www.fsis.usda.gov/regulations/
2005_Notices_Index/Index.asp. FSIS
also will make copies of this Federal
Register publication available through
the FSIS Constituent Update, which is
used to provide information regarding
FSIS policies, procedures, regulations,
Federal Register notices, FSIS public
meetings, recalls, and other types of
information that could affect or would
be of interest to constituents and
stakeholders. The update is
communicated via Listserv, a free e-mail
subscription service consisting of
industry, trade, and farm groups,
consumer interest groups, allied health
professionals, scientific professionals,
and other individuals who have
requested to be included. The update
also is available on the FSIS Web page.
Through Listserv and the Web page,
FSIS is able to provide information to a
much broader, more diverse audience.
In addition, FSIS offers an electronic
mail subscription service that provides
an automatic and customized
notification when popular pages are
updated, including Federal Register
publications and related documents.
This service is available at https://
www.fsis.usda.gov/news_and_events/email_subscription/ and allows FSIS
customers to sign up for subscription
options in eight categories. Options
range from recalls to export information
to regulations, directives and notices.
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Federal Register / Vol. 70, No. 187 / Wednesday, September 28, 2005 / Notices
Customers can add or delete
subscriptions themselves and have the
option to password protect their
accounts.
References
The following sources are available
for review in the FSIS Docket Room,
Cotton Annex, 300 12th Street, SW.,
Room 102, Washington, DC 20250
between 8:30 a.m. and 4 p.m., Monday
through Friday.
Food Marketing Institute/National
Council of Chain Restaurants Animal
Welfare Audit Program. Information
about the program is available at
https://www.awaudit.org/.
National Chicken Council Animal
Welfare Guidelines and Audit Checklist.
Available at https://
www.nationalchickencouncil.com/.
Thaler, A.M., ‘‘The United States
Perspective Towards Poultry
Slaughter.’’ Poultry Science. February
1999. v. 78 (2), p. 298–301.
Done at Washington, DC on September 23,
2005.
Barbara J. Masters,
Administrator.
[FR Doc. 05–19378 Filed 9–27–05; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410–DM–P
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Food Safety and Inspection Service
[Docket No. 05–030N]
Codex Alimentarius Commission:
Meeting of the Codex Committee on
Food Import and Export Inspection and
Certification Systems
Office of the Under Secretary
for Food Safety, USDA.
ACTION: Notice of public meeting and
request for comments.
AGENCY:
SUMMARY: The Office of the Under
Secretary for Food Safety, United States
Department of Agriculture (USDA), and
the Food and Drug Administration
(FDA), U.S. Department of Health and
Human Services (HHS), are sponsoring
a public meeting on November 10, 2005.
The objective of the public meeting is to
provide information and receive public
comments on agenda items and draft
U.S. positions that will be discussed at
the 14th Session of the Codex
Committee on Food Import and Export
Inspection and Certification Systems
(CCFICS) of the Codex Alimentarius
Commission (Codex), which will be
held in Melbourne, Australia, November
28–December 2, 2005. The Under
Secretary for Food Safety and FDA
recognize the importance of providing
interested parties the opportunity to
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16:02 Sep 27, 2005
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obtain background information on the
14th Session of CCFICS and to address
items on the agenda.
DATES: The public meeting is scheduled
for Thursday, November 10, 2005 from
1 p.m. to 4 p.m.
ADDRESSES: The public meeting will be
held in Room 0161 of the South
Agriculture Building, 1400
Independence Avenue, SW.,
Washington, DC (Smithsonian Metro
stop). Documents related to the 14th
Session of the CCFICS will be accessible
via the World Wide Web at the
following address: https://
www.codexalimentarius.net/
current.asp.
FSIS invites interested persons to
submit comments on this notice.
Comments may be submitted by any of
the following methods:
• Mail, including floppy disks or CD–
ROMs, and hand- or courier-delivered
items: Send to the FSIS Docket Clerk,
U.S. Department of Agriculture, Food
Safety and Inspection Service, 300 12th
Street, SW., Room 102, Cotton Annex,
Washington, DC 20250. All comments
received must include the Agency name
and docket number 05–030N. All
comments submitted in response to this
notice, will be available for public
inspection in the FSIS Docket Room at
the address listed above between 8:30
a.m. and 4:30 p.m., Monday through
Friday. The comments also will be
posted on the Agency’s Web site at
https://www.fsis.usda.gov/regulations/
2005_Notices_Index/.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
About the 14th session of the CCFICS:
Dr. Catherine Carnevale, Director, Office
of Constituent Operations, Center for
Food Safety and Applied Nutrition,
FDA, 5100 Paint Branch Parkway (HFS–
550), College Park, MD 20740, phone:
(301) 436–2380, Fax: (301) 436–2618. Email:
Catherine.Carnevale@cfsan.fda.gov.
About the public meeting: Edith
Kennard, Staff Officer, U.S. Codex
Office, Food Safety and Inspection
Service, Room 4861, South Building,
1400 Independence Avenue, SW.,
Washington, DC 20250, Phone: (202)
720–5261, Fax: (202) 720–3157, E-mail:
edith.kennard@fsis.usda.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background
Codex was established in 1962 by two
United Nations organizations, the Food
and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and
the World Health Organization (WHO).
Codex is the major international
organization for encouraging fair
international trade in food and
protecting the health and economic
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Sfmt 4703
interests of consumers. Through
adoption of food standards, codes of
practice, and other guidelines
developed by its committees, and by
promoting their adoption and
implementation by governments, Codex
seeks to ensure that the world’s food
supply is sound, wholesome, free from
adulteration, and correctly labeled. In
the United States, USDA, FDA, and the
Environmental Protection Agency
manage and carry out U.S. Codex.
The Codex Committee on Food Import
and Export Inspection and Certification
Systems was established to develop
principles and guidelines for food
import and export inspection and
certification systems to facilitate trade
through harmonization and to supply
safe and quality foods to consumers.
Included in the charge is application of
measures by competent authorities to
provide assurance that foods comply
with essential requirements.
Issues To Be Discussed at the Public
Meeting
The following items on the Agenda
for the 14th Session of the Committee
will be discussed during the public
meeting:
• Proposed draft Appendices to the
Guidelines on the Judgment of
Equivalence of Sanitary Measures
Associated with Food Inspection and
Certification.
• Proposed draft Guidelines for Riskbased Inspection of Imported Foods
• Proposed draft Principles for the
Application of Traceability/Product
tracing in the context of Food Inspection
and Certification Systems
• Proposed draft Revision of the
Guidelines for Generic Official
Certificate Formats and the Production
and issuance of Certificates
• Discussion Paper on the Revision of
the Guidelines for the Exchange of
Information between Countries on
Rejection of Imported Foods
• Discussion Paper on development
of an Appendix on ‘‘Information relating
to the need for technical assistance and
cooperation between the importing
countries to exporting countries’’ to the
Codex Guidelines on the Judgment of
Equivalence of Sanitary Measures
Associated with Food Inspection and
Certification
Members of the public may access or
request copies of these documents at:
https://www.codexalimentarius.net/
current.asp
Public Meeting
At the November 10th public meeting,
draft U.S. positions on the agenda items
will be described, discussed, and
attendees will have the opportunity to
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]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 70, Number 187 (Wednesday, September 28, 2005)]
[Notices]
[Pages 56624-56626]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 05-19378]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Food Safety and Inspection Service
[Docket No. 04-037N]
Treatment of Live Poultry Before Slaughter
AGENCY: Food Safety and Inspection Service, USDA.
ACTION: Notice.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: The Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) is reminding all
poultry slaughter establishments that, under the Poultry Products
Inspection Act (PPIA) and Agency regulations, live poultry must be
handled in a manner that is consistent with good commercial practices,
which means they should be treated humanely. Although there is no
specific federal humane handling and slaughter statute for poultry,
under the PPIA, poultry products are more likely to be adulterated if,
among other circumstances, they are produced from birds that have not
been treated humanely, because such birds are more likely to be bruised
or to die other than by slaughter.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Lynn Dickey, PhD, Director,
Regulations and Petitions Policy Staff, Office of Policy, Program, and
Employee Development, Food Safety and Inspection Service, Cotton Annex
Building, 300 12th Street, SW., Room 112, Washington, DC 20250-3700;
(202) 720-5627.
Comments
FSIS invites interested persons to submit comments on this notice.
Submit comments by October 28, 2005. Comments may be submitted by any
of the following methods:
Mail, including floppy disks or CD-ROM's, and hand- or
courier-delivered items: Send to Docket Clerk, U.S. Department of
Agriculture, Food Safety and Inspection Service, 300 12th Street, SW.,
Room 102 Cotton Annex, Washington, DC 20250.
All submissions received must include the Agency name and docket
number 04-037N. All comments submitted in response to this notice, as
well as research and background information used by FSIS in developing
this document, will be available for public inspection in the FSIS
Docket Room at the address listed above between 8:30 a.m. and 4:30
p.m., Monday through Friday. The comments also will be posted on the
Agency's Web site at https://www.fsis.usda.gov/regulations/2004_
Notices_Index/Index.asp.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
The Poultry Products Inspection Act (PPIA) and Implementing Regulations
FSIS considers humane methods of handling animals and humane
slaughter operations a high priority and takes seriously any violations
of applicable laws and regulations. In poultry operations, employing
humane methods of handling and slaughtering that are consistent with
good commercial practices increases the likelihood of producing
unadulterated product.
FSIS regulations describe the operating procedures that poultry
processors must follow to ensure sanitary processing, proper
inspection, and the production of poultry products that are not
adulterated. Under 9 CFR 381.71, FSIS condemns poultry showing, on ante
mortem inspection, certain diseases or conditions. Bruising is one
condition that may result in condemnation (9 CFR 381.89). Bruises are
likely to result when birds are not treated humanely.
Moreover, the PPIA (21 U.S.C. 453(g)(5)), as well as the Agency's
regulations (9 CFR 381.90), provide that carcasses of poultry showing
evidence of having died from causes other than slaughter are considered
adulterated and condemned. The regulations also require that poultry be
slaughtered in accordance with good commercial practices, in a manner
that results in thorough bleeding of the poultry carcass, and ensures
that breathing has stopped before scalding so that the birds do not
drown (9 CFR 381.65(b)). Compliance with these requirements helps
ensure that poultry are treated humanely.
The Reason FSIS Is Issuing This Notice at This Time
FSIS is issuing this notice because there has been considerable
congressional and public interest in the humane treatment of animals,
including poultry. As FSIS explained in the September 9, 2004, Federal
Register, in recent years, Congress has taken various actions to
strengthen USDA's resources and to ensure that FSIS enforces the
statutory provisions concerning the humane handling and slaughter of
livestock (69 FR 54625). In addition, the U.S. Department of
Agriculture has received several letters from members of Congress
expressing concerns regarding the humane treatment of poultry and
supporting legislation to include provisions for the humane treatment
of poultry in the Humane Methods of Slaughter Act (HMSA). The HMSA of
1978 (7 U.S.C.1901 et seq.) requires that humane methods be used for
handling
[[Page 56625]]
and slaughtering livestock but does not include comparable provisions
concerning the handling and slaughter of poultry.
In the September 9, 2004, Federal Register, FSIS also explained
that, in addition to this congressional interest, FSIS has received
over 20,000 letters from the public (individuals, consumer
organizations, and animal welfare organizations) over the last few
years expressing concerns regarding the humane treatment of livestock
(69 FR 54626). Some of these letters also expressed concerns regarding
the humane treatment of poultry. In addition, the U.S. Department of
Agriculture has received nearly 13,000 e-mail messages supporting
legislation to include provisions for the humane treatment of poultry
in the HMSA.
Finally, FSIS received a petition from the Animal Legal Defense
Fund, dated November 21, 1995, requesting that FSIS amend the Federal
poultry products inspection regulations to require humane standards of
slaughter for poultry. FSIS denied the petition because, as is
explained above, there is no specific federal humane handling and
slaughter statute for poultry. However, as is also explained above, the
PPIA and Agency regulations do require that live poultry be handled in
a manner that is consistent with good commercial practices, and that
they not die from causes other than slaughter.
Undesirable Consequences of Not Handling Poultry in Accordance With
Good Commercial Practices
The abuse of poultry by killing them by an unacceptable method or
by treating them in a manner that is not consistent with good
commercial practices may render the poultry product adulterated and,
hence, not acceptable for human food. The dead birds are considered to
be cadavers (carcasses of poultry showing evidence of having died from
causes other than slaughter) and are condemned. These carcasses are not
of good quality, are undesirable, and are of no profitable advantage to
establishments, as they are not marketable and could not be sold. In
contrast, the use of good commercial practices tends to produce poultry
that is processed according to federal requirements, and that is
wholesome and marketable.
It is a prohibited act to slaughter poultry in any way that is not
in compliance with the PPIA (21 U.S.C. 458(a)(1)). If birds hung on the
slaughter line expire prior to slaughter due to mishandling, or are
being killed in a manner that does not comply with good commercial
practices, the resultant product is adulterated under the PPIA.
FSIS Perspective on the Treatment of Poultry
Many poultry operations may not be aware of industry guidelines
pertaining to the treatment of poultry at slaughter. FSIS has included
a list of references at the end of this notice that may assist poultry
slaughter establishments in considering means of assessing or improving
their handling and slaughter procedures. One method poultry operations
may wish to examine is a systematic approach to ensuring that poultry
is handled and slaughtered in a manner that is consistent with good
commercial practices. By a ``systematic approach,'' FSIS means one in
which establishments focus on treating poultry in such a manner as to
minimize excitement, discomfort, and accidental injury the entire time
that live poultry is held in connection with slaughter. Establishments
can achieve such an approach by:
(1) Assessing under what circumstances poultry may experience
excitement, discomfort, or accidental injury while being handled in
connection with slaughter;
(2) Taking steps to minimize the possibility of such excitement,
discomfort, and accidental injury; and
(3) Evaluating periodically how poultry are being handled and
slaughtered to ensure (a) that any excitement, discomfort, or
accidental injury is being minimized; (b) that all poultry are
slaughtered in a manner that results in thorough bleeding of the
poultry carcass; and (c) that breathing has stopped before scalding.
In the first step of a systematic approach, establishments conduct
an assessment of where handling problems may occur. They would consider
such factors as (1) whether they are providing training for their
employees in handling live poultry, (2) whether feed and water
withdrawal is kept to the minimum level consistent with good processing
practices, (3) whether they have appropriately designed and maintained
facilities for bird delivery to the establishment, (4) whether holding
areas are equipped with an adequate number of fans to ensure proper
ventilation for birds, (5) whether stunning equipment (if applicable)
and killing equipment are constantly monitored to ensure proper
functioning for humane processing, (6) whether all poultry are dead
before entering the scalder, and (7) whether establishment personnel
and equipment handle poultry in a manner that minimizes broken legs and
wings. These factors are based on information provided in the National
Chicken Council Animal Welfare Guidelines and Audit Checklist, which is
included in the list of references at the end of this notice.
As a second step of a systematic approach, establishments determine
whether their facilities are designed and maintained to prevent
excitement, discomfort, and accidental injury to poultry the entire
time that live poultry is held in connection with slaughter.
In the third step, establishments periodically evaluate their
handling methods to ensure that their employees are in fact minimizing
excitement, discomfort, or accidental injury to live poultry, that
their methods ensure all poultry are slaughtered in a manner that
results in thorough bleeding of the carcass, and that their methods
ensure poultry breathing has stopped before scalding.
Additional Public Notification
Public awareness of all segments of rulemaking and policy
development is important. Consequently, in an effort to ensure that the
public and in particular minorities, women, and persons with
disabilities, are aware of this notice, FSIS will announce it on-line
through the FSIS Web page located at https://www.fsis.usda.gov/
regulations/2005_Notices_Index/Index.asp. FSIS also will make copies
of this Federal Register publication available through the FSIS
Constituent Update, which is used to provide information regarding FSIS
policies, procedures, regulations, Federal Register notices, FSIS
public meetings, recalls, and other types of information that could
affect or would be of interest to constituents and stakeholders. The
update is communicated via Listserv, a free e-mail subscription service
consisting of industry, trade, and farm groups, consumer interest
groups, allied health professionals, scientific professionals, and
other individuals who have requested to be included. The update also is
available on the FSIS Web page. Through Listserv and the Web page, FSIS
is able to provide information to a much broader, more diverse
audience.
In addition, FSIS offers an electronic mail subscription service
that provides an automatic and customized notification when popular
pages are updated, including Federal Register publications and related
documents. This service is available at https://www.fsis.usda.gov/news_
and_events/e-mail_subscription/ and allows FSIS customers to sign up
for subscription options in eight categories. Options range from
recalls to export information to regulations, directives and notices.
[[Page 56626]]
Customers can add or delete subscriptions themselves and have the
option to password protect their accounts.
References
The following sources are available for review in the FSIS Docket
Room, Cotton Annex, 300 12th Street, SW., Room 102, Washington, DC
20250 between 8:30 a.m. and 4 p.m., Monday through Friday.
Food Marketing Institute/National Council of Chain Restaurants
Animal Welfare Audit Program. Information about the program is
available at https://www.awaudit.org/.
National Chicken Council Animal Welfare Guidelines and Audit
Checklist. Available at https://www.nationalchickencouncil.com/.
Thaler, A.M., ``The United States Perspective Towards Poultry
Slaughter.'' Poultry Science. February 1999. v. 78 (2), p. 298-301.
Done at Washington, DC on September 23, 2005.
Barbara J. Masters,
Administrator.
[FR Doc. 05-19378 Filed 9-27-05; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-DM-P
