Pre-Harvest Food Safety for Cattle; Public Meeting, 63901-63902 [2011-26541]

Download as PDF 63901 Notices Federal Register Vol. 76, No. 199 Friday, October 14, 2011 This section of the FEDERAL REGISTER contains documents other than rules or proposed rules that are applicable to the public. Notices of hearings and investigations, committee meetings, agency decisions and rulings, delegations of authority, filing of petitions and applications and agency statements of organization and functions are examples of documents appearing in this section. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE Food Safety and Inspection Service [Docket No. FSIS–2011–0023] Pre-Harvest Food Safety for Cattle; Public Meeting Food Safety and Inspection Service, USDA. ACTION: Notice of public meeting. AGENCY: This notice is announcing that the Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS), the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), and the Agricultural Research Service (ARS), are hosting a public meeting to seek input on pre-harvest pathogen control strategies designed to reduce the likelihood that beef will be contaminated with pathogens of public health concern, such as Shiga toxinproducing E. coli and Salmonella, during the slaughter process. DATES: The public meeting will be held on Wednesday, November 9, 2011, onsite registration is at 8 a.m., the meeting is 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. ADDRESSES: The public meeting will be held at the USDA Center at Riverside, 4700 River Road, 1st floor—Oklahoma City Memorial Conference Center, Riverdale, MD 20737 (parking is $5.00 by cash or credit card—see https:// www.USDACenteratRiversideFY11_ USDACenteratRiverside.pdf for information on the Riverdale, MD facility). FSIS will finalize an agenda on or before the meeting and post it on the FSIS Web page at https:// www.fsis.usda.gov/News/Meetings_&_ Events/. Pre-registration is recommended. To pre-register, visit the FSIS Web site at: https://www.fsis.usda.gov/News/ Meetings_&_Events/. FSIS welcomes comments until January 3, 2012, on this meeting. Comments may be submitted by any of the following methods: tkelley on DSK3SPTVN1PROD with NOTICES SUMMARY: VerDate Mar<15>2010 15:20 Oct 13, 2011 Jkt 226001 —Federal eRulemaking Portal: This Web site provides the ability to type short comments directly into the comment field on this Web page or attach a file for lengthier comments. Go to Regulations.Gov at https:// www.regulations.gov/ and follow the online instructions at that site for submitting comments. —Mail, including floppy disks or CD– ROMs: Send to Docket Clerk, U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), FSIS Docket Room, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW., Patriots Plaza 3, Mailstop 3782, Room 163A, Washington, DC 20250–3700. Instructions: All items submitted by mail or electronic mail must include the Agency name and docket number FSIS– 2011–0023. Comments received in response to this docket will be made available for public inspection and posted without change, including any personal information, to https:// www.regulations.gov. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Daniel Engeljohn, PhD, Assistant Administrator for Office of Policy and Program Development, FSIS, USDA, Room 349–E, Jamie Whitten Building, 14th and Independence Avenue, SW., Washington, DC 20250–3700; telephone (202) 205–0495, fax (202) 720–2025, email daniel.engeljohn@fsis.usda.gov. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Background During the 1990s, research programs conducted by ARS on pre-harvest included projects to evaluate technology and management methods to help producers achieve lower contamination levels in animals presented for slaughter.1 In 2008, FSIS began to promote cattle pre-harvest interventions to prevent foodborne illness and improve food safety throughout the farm-to-table continuum. The condition of the animals entering plants, and at slaughter, and the contamination rates on their hides and elsewhere affect the ability to mitigate risk at slaughter and through the rest of the food system. Preharvest food safety interventions can prevent foodborne illness by helping to reduce risk in the farm-to-table continuum. 1 Federal Register/Vol. 61, No. 144. Thursday, July 25, 1996 https://www.fsis.usda.gov/Oa/fr/ rule4.pdf. PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 FSIS published cattle pre-harvest guidelines 2 to inform beef slaughter establishments of the interventions that can be applied before slaughter, such as on-site farm management controls, to help reduce E. coli O157:H7 shedding in cattle. FSIS encourages farmers and ranchers, packers and processors, and scientists in academia, industry, and government, to collaborate in identifying the best technology and practices to reduce contamination before slaughter. Collaboration on such food safety efforts benefits beef producers, slaughterers, processors, and consumers. Pre-Harvest Guideline Recommendations FSIS recommends that slaughter establishments procure their cattle from beef producers that implement one or more documented pre-harvest management practices to reduce fecal shedding of enteric pathogens. Research on pre-harvest interventions is ongoing. Pre-harvest interventions that can eliminate fecal shedding of enteric pathogens have yet to be discovered; however, current research suggests that at least two pre-harvest interventions, certain probiotics and vaccines, have the potential to be effective in reducing fecal shedding in cattle. FSIS encourages slaughter establishments to share this information with their suppliers and to use it in designing their food safety systems. The goals for this meeting on preharvest food safety for cattle are: 1. Food safety improvement through identification and development of effective pre-harvest practices. 2. Creating an increased focus on preharvest food safety and the identification and development of incentives for producers and processors to adopt effective pre-harvest practices. 3. Increased producer engagement to emphasize their importance in the overall food safety system. 4. Finding effective solutions through discrete projects, including demonstration projects of new technologies and implementation of best practices. The end product of this meeting would be the identification of effective 2 Pre-Harvest Management Controls and Intervention Options for Reducing Escherichia Coli O157:H7 Shedding in Cattle May 2010 https:// www.fsis.usda.gov/PDF/ Reducing_Ecoli_Shedding_In_Cattle_0510.pdf. E:\FR\FM\14OCN1.SGM 14OCN1 63902 Federal Register / Vol. 76, No. 199 / Friday, October 14, 2011 / Notices and practical pre-harvest practices, the identification of incentives for producers and processors to adopt such measures, and the establishment of an ongoing dialogue regarding pre-harvest food safety. Also, FSIS will present a summary of the recent input from the National Advisory Committee on Meat and Poultry Inspection on pre-harvest issues. FSIS, APHIS, and ARS have developed the following questions for discussion at the meeting: What factors influence shedding of Salmonella and Escherichia coli (E. coli) O157:H7 and other Shiga toxinproducing E. coli (STEC) (e.g., age of cattle, stress conditions)? What effective and practical treatments or mitigation measures are available to reduce the pathogen load in general, and Salmonella and STECs specifically? How can producers, processors, and government work together to incentivize pre-harvest food safety practices and interventions? A key outcome of this meeting will be to provide the agencies with the information to develop a ‘‘best practice’’ guidance document. The draft guidance document would be made available for comment-and ultimately for use by all stakeholders. tkelley on DSK3SPTVN1PROD with NOTICES USDA Nondiscrimination Statement USDA prohibits discrimination in all its programs and activities on the basis of race, color, national origin, gender, religion, age, disability, political beliefs, sexual orientation, and marital or family status (Not all prohibited bases apply to all programs). Persons with disabilities who require alternative means for communication of program information (Braille, large print, and audiotape) should contact USDA’s Target Center at (202) 720–2600 (voice and TTY). To file a written complaint of discrimination, write USDA, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW., Washington, DC 20250–9410 or call (202) 720–5964 (voice and TTY). USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer. Additional Public Notification FSIS will announce this notice online through the FSIS Web page located at https://www.fsis.usda.gov/ regulations_&_policies/ Federal_Register_Notices/index.asp. FSIS will also make copies of this Federal Register publication available through the FSIS Constituent Update, which is used to provide information regarding FSIS policies, procedures, VerDate Mar<15>2010 15:20 Oct 13, 2011 Jkt 226001 regulations, Federal Register notices, FSIS public meetings, 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 electronic mail subscription service for industry, trade groups, consumer interest groups, health professionals, and other individuals who have asked to be included. The Update is also available on the FSIS Web page. In addition, FSIS offers an electronic mail subscription service which provides automatic and customized access to selected food safety news and information. This service is available at https://www.fsis.usda.gov/ News_&_Events/Email_Subscription/. Options range from recalls to export information to regulations, directives and notices. Customers can add or delete subscriptions themselves, and have the option to password protect their accounts. Done at Washington, DC, on: October 6, 2011. Alfred V. Almanza, Administrator. [FR Doc. 2011–26541 Filed 10–13–11; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 3410–DM–P DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE International Trade Administration [A–583–008] Circular Welded Carbon Steel Pipes and Tubes From Taiwan: Final Results of Antidumping Duty Administrative Review Import Administration, International Trade Administration, Department of Commerce. SUMMARY: On June 8, 2011, the Department of Commerce (the Department) published the preliminary results of the administrative review of the antidumping duty order on circular welded carbon steel pipes and tubes from Taiwan. See Preliminary Results of Antidumping Duty Administrative Review: Circular Welded Carbon Steel Pipes and Tubes From Taiwan, 76 FR 33210 (June 8, 2011) (Preliminary Results). This review covers one company, Yieh Phui Enterprise Co., Ltd. (Yieh Phui). Based on our analysis of the comments received, we have made no changes from the Preliminary Results. We have listed the final dumping margin below in the section entitled ‘‘Final Results of Review.’’ DATES: Effective Date: October 14, 2011. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Steve Bezirganian or Robert James, AD/ AGENCY: PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 CVD Operations, Office 7, Import Administration, International Trade Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce, 14th Street and Constitution Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 20230; telephone: (202) 482–1131 and (202) 482–0649, respectively. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Background On June 8, 2011, the Department published in the Federal Register the preliminary results of the administrative review of the antidumping duty order on circular welded carbon steel pipes and tubes from Taiwan for the period of review (POR) of May 1, 2009, to April 30, 2010. See Preliminary Results. In response to the Department’s invitation to comment on the preliminary results of this review, respondent Yieh Phui filed its case brief on July 15, 2011. Domestic producer U.S. Steel Corporation filed its rebuttal brief on July 22, 2011. No parties requested a hearing. Scope of the Order The merchandise covered by this order is certain circular welded carbon steel pipes and tubes from Taiwan, which are defined as: Welded carbon steel pipes and tubes, of circular cross section, with walls not thinner than 0.065 inch, and 0.375 inch or more but not over 4.5 inches in outside diameter, currently classified under Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States (HTSUS) item numbers 7306.30.5025, 7306.30.5032, 7306.30.5040, and 7306.30.5055. Although the HTSUS subheading is provided for convenience and customs purposes, the written description of the merchandise subject to this order is dispositive. Cost of Production As discussed in the Preliminary Results, we found that Yieh Phui made home market sales of the foreign like product during the POR at prices below its costs of production (COP) within the meaning of section 773(b) of the Tariff Act of 1930, as amended (the Act). See Preliminary Results, 76 FR at 33211. Those results apply to these final results, given that no changes have been made from the calculations made in the Preliminary Results. We found 20 percent or more of the respondent’s sales of a given product during the reporting period were at prices less than the weighted-average COP for this period. Thus, we determined that these below-cost sales were made in ‘‘substantial quantities’’ within an extended period of time and at prices which did not permit the recovery of all costs within a reasonable E:\FR\FM\14OCN1.SGM 14OCN1

Agencies

[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 199 (Friday, October 14, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Pages 63901-63902]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-26541]


========================================================================
Notices
                                                Federal Register
________________________________________________________________________

This section of the FEDERAL REGISTER contains documents other than rules 
or proposed rules that are applicable to the public. Notices of hearings 
and investigations, committee meetings, agency decisions and rulings, 
delegations of authority, filing of petitions and applications and agency 
statements of organization and functions are examples of documents 
appearing in this section.

========================================================================


Federal Register / Vol. 76, No. 199 / Friday, October 14, 2011 / 
Notices

[[Page 63901]]



DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Food Safety and Inspection Service

[Docket No. FSIS-2011-0023]


Pre-Harvest Food Safety for Cattle; Public Meeting

AGENCY: Food Safety and Inspection Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice of public meeting.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: This notice is announcing that the Food Safety and Inspection 
Service (FSIS), the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), 
and the Agricultural Research Service (ARS), are hosting a public 
meeting to seek input on pre-harvest pathogen control strategies 
designed to reduce the likelihood that beef will be contaminated with 
pathogens of public health concern, such as Shiga toxin- producing E. 
coli and Salmonella, during the slaughter process.

DATES: The public meeting will be held on Wednesday, November 9, 2011, 
on-site registration is at 8 a.m., the meeting is 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.

ADDRESSES: The public meeting will be held at the USDA Center at 
Riverside, 4700 River Road, 1st floor--Oklahoma City Memorial 
Conference Center, Riverdale, MD 20737 (parking is $5.00 by cash or 
credit card--see https://www.USDACenteratRiversideFY11_USDACenteratRiverside.pdf for information on the Riverdale, MD 
facility).
    FSIS will finalize an agenda on or before the meeting and post it 
on the FSIS Web page at https://www.fsis.usda.gov/News/Meetings_&_Events/.
    Pre-registration is recommended. To pre-register, visit the FSIS 
Web site at: https://www.fsis.usda.gov/News/Meetings_&_Events/.
    FSIS welcomes comments until January 3, 2012, on this meeting. 
Comments may be submitted by any of the following methods:

--Federal eRulemaking Portal: This Web site provides the ability to 
type short comments directly into the comment field on this Web page or 
attach a file for lengthier comments. Go to Regulations.Gov at https://www.regulations.gov/ and follow the online instructions at that site 
for submitting comments.
--Mail, including floppy disks or CD-ROMs: Send to Docket Clerk, U.S. 
Department of Agriculture (USDA), FSIS Docket Room, 1400 Independence 
Avenue, SW., Patriots Plaza 3, Mailstop 3782, Room 163A, Washington, DC 
20250-3700.

    Instructions: All items submitted by mail or electronic mail must 
include the Agency name and docket number FSIS-2011-0023. Comments 
received in response to this docket will be made available for public 
inspection and posted without change, including any personal 
information, to https://www.regulations.gov.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Daniel Engeljohn, PhD, Assistant 
Administrator for Office of Policy and Program Development, FSIS, USDA, 
Room 349-E, Jamie Whitten Building, 14th and Independence Avenue, SW., 
Washington, DC 20250-3700; telephone (202) 205-0495, fax (202) 720-
2025, email daniel.engeljohn@fsis.usda.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Background

    During the 1990s, research programs conducted by ARS on pre-harvest 
included projects to evaluate technology and management methods to help 
producers achieve lower contamination levels in animals presented for 
slaughter.\1\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \1\ Federal Register/Vol. 61, No. 144. Thursday, July 25, 1996 
https://www.fsis.usda.gov/Oa/fr/rule4.pdf.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    In 2008, FSIS began to promote cattle pre-harvest interventions to 
prevent foodborne illness and improve food safety throughout the farm-
to-table continuum. The condition of the animals entering plants, and 
at slaughter, and the contamination rates on their hides and elsewhere 
affect the ability to mitigate risk at slaughter and through the rest 
of the food system. Pre-harvest food safety interventions can prevent 
foodborne illness by helping to reduce risk in the farm-to-table 
continuum.
    FSIS published cattle pre-harvest guidelines \2\ to inform beef 
slaughter establishments of the interventions that can be applied 
before slaughter, such as on-site farm management controls, to help 
reduce E. coli O157:H7 shedding in cattle. FSIS encourages farmers and 
ranchers, packers and processors, and scientists in academia, industry, 
and government, to collaborate in identifying the best technology and 
practices to reduce contamination before slaughter. Collaboration on 
such food safety efforts benefits beef producers, slaughterers, 
processors, and consumers.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \2\ Pre-Harvest Management Controls and Intervention Options for 
Reducing Escherichia Coli O157:H7 Shedding in Cattle May 2010 https://www.fsis.usda.gov/PDF/Reducing_Ecoli_Shedding_In_Cattle_0510.pdf.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Pre-Harvest Guideline Recommendations

    FSIS recommends that slaughter establishments procure their cattle 
from beef producers that implement one or more documented pre-harvest 
management practices to reduce fecal shedding of enteric pathogens. 
Research on pre-harvest interventions is ongoing. Pre-harvest 
interventions that can eliminate fecal shedding of enteric pathogens 
have yet to be discovered; however, current research suggests that at 
least two pre-harvest interventions, certain probiotics and vaccines, 
have the potential to be effective in reducing fecal shedding in 
cattle. FSIS encourages slaughter establishments to share this 
information with their suppliers and to use it in designing their food 
safety systems.
    The goals for this meeting on pre-harvest food safety for cattle 
are:
    1. Food safety improvement through identification and development 
of effective pre-harvest practices.
    2. Creating an increased focus on pre-harvest food safety and the 
identification and development of incentives for producers and 
processors to adopt effective pre-harvest practices.
    3. Increased producer engagement to emphasize their importance in 
the overall food safety system.
    4. Finding effective solutions through discrete projects, including 
demonstration projects of new technologies and implementation of best 
practices.
    The end product of this meeting would be the identification of 
effective

[[Page 63902]]

and practical pre-harvest practices, the identification of incentives 
for producers and processors to adopt such measures, and the 
establishment of an ongoing dialogue regarding pre-harvest food safety. 
Also, FSIS will present a summary of the recent input from the National 
Advisory Committee on Meat and Poultry Inspection on pre-harvest 
issues.
    FSIS, APHIS, and ARS have developed the following questions for 
discussion at the meeting:
    What factors influence shedding of Salmonella and Escherichia coli 
(E. coli) O157:H7 and other Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC) (e.g., 
age of cattle, stress conditions)?
    What effective and practical treatments or mitigation measures are 
available to reduce the pathogen load in general, and Salmonella and 
STECs specifically?
    How can producers, processors, and government work together to 
incentivize pre-harvest food safety practices and interventions?
    A key outcome of this meeting will be to provide the agencies with 
the information to develop a ``best practice'' guidance document. The 
draft guidance document would be made available for comment-and 
ultimately for use by all stakeholders.

USDA Nondiscrimination Statement

    USDA prohibits discrimination in all its programs and activities on 
the basis of race, color, national origin, gender, religion, age, 
disability, political beliefs, sexual orientation, and marital or 
family status (Not all prohibited bases apply to all programs).
    Persons with disabilities who require alternative means for 
communication of program information (Braille, large print, and 
audiotape) should contact USDA's Target Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice 
and TTY).
    To file a written complaint of discrimination, write USDA, Office 
of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights, 1400 Independence Avenue, 
SW., Washington, DC 20250-9410 or call (202) 720-5964 (voice and TTY). 
USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer.

Additional Public Notification

    FSIS will announce this notice online through the FSIS Web page 
located at https://www.fsis.usda.gov/regulations_&_policies/Federal_Register_Notices/index.asp.
    FSIS will also 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, 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 
electronic mail subscription service for industry, trade groups, 
consumer interest groups, health professionals, and other individuals 
who have asked to be included. The Update is also available on the FSIS 
Web page. In addition, FSIS offers an electronic mail subscription 
service which provides automatic and customized access to selected food 
safety news and information. This service is available at https://www.fsis.usda.gov/News_&_Events/Email_Subscription/. Options range 
from recalls to export information to regulations, directives and 
notices. Customers can add or delete subscriptions themselves, and have 
the option to password protect their accounts.

    Done at Washington, DC, on: October 6, 2011.
Alfred V. Almanza,
Administrator.
[FR Doc. 2011-26541 Filed 10-13-11; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-DM-P
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