HACCP Plan Reassessment for Not-Ready-To-Eat Comminuted Poultry Products and Related Agency Verification Procedures, 22084-22090 [2014-08952]
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Federal Register / Vol. 79, No. 76 / Monday, April 21, 2014 / Notices
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Deliver to Patriots Plaza 3, 355 E Street
SW., Room 8–163B, Washington, DC
20250–3700.
Instructions: All items submitted by
mail or electronic mail must include the
Agency name and docket number FSIS–
2013–0029. Comments received in
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FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Rachel Edelstein, Assistant
Administrator, Office of Policy and
Program Development; Telephone: (202)
205–0495, or by Fax: (202) 720–2025.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Under the
Acts, meat and poultry products that
contain an allergen that is not declared
on the product label are adulterated
because, to individuals who are allergic
to the allergen, the products bear or
contain a poisonous or deleterious
substance (21 U.S.C. 453(g)(1) and
601(m)(1)).
Also under the Acts, meat and poultry
products are misbranded if the labeling
on the products is false or misleading in
any particular (21 U.S.C. 601(n)(1) and
453(h)(1)). To prevent meat and poultry
products from being misbranded, FSIS
regulations require a listing of all
ingredients on the labels of products (9
CFR 317.2(f)(1) and 381.118(a)(1)).
In recent years (2008–2012), there has
been a sustained increase in the number
of recalls of FSIS-regulated products
that contained undeclared allergens.
These recalls are preventable, as many
have been due to ingredient changes,
product changes, products in the wrong
package, or products with misprinted
labels. The Agency is issuing these
guidelines to provide meat and poultry
establishments with recommendations
on how to identify hazards with respect
to allergens and other ingredients of
public health concern when conducting
their hazard analysis, prevent and
control these hazards through HACCP
plans, Sanitation SOPs, or other
prerequisite programs, and properly
declare allergens in product. These
guidelines also provide information on
proper procedures for processing,
handling, storing, and labeling a
product with an allergenic ingredient or
ingredient of public health concern.
Although the guidelines set out
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recommendations rather than
requirements, FSIS encourages
establishments to follow this guidance.
The guidelines represent FSIS’s
thinking, and FSIS will update it as
necessary to reflect comments received
any additional information that becomes
available.
Done at Washington, DC on: April 1, 2014.
Alfred V. Almanza,
Administrator.
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[FR Doc. 2014–08956 Filed 4–18–14; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410–DM–P
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
[Docket No. FSIS–2012–0007]
HACCP Plan Reassessment for NotReady-To-Eat Comminuted Poultry
Products and Related Agency
Verification Procedures
Food Safety and Inspection
Service, USDA.
ACTION: Notice; response to comments.
AGENCY:
The Food Safety and
Inspection Service (FSIS) is responding
to comments on a Federal Register
notice, ‘‘HACCP Plan Reassessment for
Not-Ready-to-Eat (NRTE) Comminuted
Poultry Products and Related Agency
Verification Procedures,’’ that it
published on December 6, 2012. The
notice provided updated information on
the Agency’s sampling and testing of
these products, and on how it is
verifying that establishments are
effectively addressing the possible
presence of Salmonella and
Campylobacter in them.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Rachel Edelstein, Assistant
Administrator, Office of Policy and
Program Development; Telephone: (202)
205–0495 or by Fax: (202) 720–2025.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
SUMMARY:
Background
In the December 6, 2012, Federal
Register notice (77 FR 72686), FSIS
informed establishments producing
NRTE ground or otherwise comminuted
chicken and turkey products that they
must reassess their Hazard Analysis and
Critical Control Point (HACCP) plans for
these products. The Agency also
described how it would determine
whether the association of NRTE meat
or poultry product with an illness
outbreak would make subsequentlyproduced ‘‘like’’ product adulterated.
FSIS announced that it would expand
its Salmonella sampling beyond ground
chicken and turkey to include all forms
of non-breaded, non-battered
comminuted NRTE chicken or turkey
product not destined for further
processing into ready-to-eat (RTE)
products. Finally, FSIS announced that
it intended to use the sampling results
to determine the prevalence of
Salmonella and Campylobacter in NRTE
comminuted chicken and turkey and to
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develop pathogen reduction
performance standards for these
products.
In response to an industry request for
more time to comment, on March 7,
2013, FSIS extended the original
comment period for the December 2012
notice by 45 days, until April 20, 2013
(78 FR 14635). Also on March 7, 2013,
FSIS stated in the notice that
establishments that produced NRTE
comminuted chicken or turkey products
would have to reassess their HACCP
plans for those products by April 20,
2013, thereby providing them an
additional 45 days to conduct the
reassessment. Finally, FSIS announced
that it would announce any new
standards in the Federal Register and
request comment on them before
implementing them.
FSIS requested comment on the
notice concerning the required
reassessment and new sampling to
inform FSIS’s planned sampling
procedures, to gather information on
how best to establish pathogen
reduction performance standards for
NRTE comminuted chicken and turkey
products, and to gather any other
necessary information on how best to
move forward with addressing
Salmonella and Campylobacter in
comminuted poultry products.
On May 8, 2013, FSIS issued
instructions to its inspectors to begin
verifying whether establishments had
reassessed their HACCP plans (FSIS
Notice 33–13; https://www.fsis.usda.gov/
wps/wcm/connect/12ab8084-1641-4e9aba3c-c647afe7e428/33-13_447.pdf
?MOD=AJPERES&CONVERT_TO=url&
CACHEID=12ab8084-1641-4e9a-ba3cc647afe7e428). From the available data
concerning establishment production
and inspection task procedures from the
Public Health Information System
(PHIS) and from District Offices, FSIS
found that about 70 percent of
inspection personnel at establishments
producing raw and not-heat-treated
NRTE ground or otherwise comminuted
chicken or turkey product verified that
the establishments had reassessed their
HACCP plans for these products in light
of the outbreak information provided in
the December 2012 notice. Inspection
personnel found that about 90 percent
of the establishments at which
verification occurred had complied with
the reassessment requirements. Most of
the establishments that had not
reassessed were very low volume (less
than 1,000 pounds average production
of product subject to comminuted
poultry sampling) and not included in
the sampling frame for this product.
FSIS found that only 30 percent of
inspection personnel verified whether
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establishments producing heat-treated
NRTE comminuted chicken or turkey
products had reassessed their HACCP
plans for these products. Inspection
personnel have had questions about
whether reassessment is required for
such products and have had questions
concerning whether the poultry
components of these heat-treated
products have received a full lethality
treatment or are comminuted. If the
products themselves, or the
comminuted poultry component of such
products, receive a full lethality, they
would not be subject to the HACCP plan
reassessment requirement.
District Offices will work with
inspection program personnel to ensure
that they verify whether all
establishments required to reassess
HACCP plans for NRTE comminuted
(including ground) chicken or turkey
product do so. In addition, FSIS intends
to prioritize completion of Food Safety
Assessments (FSAs) in establishments
producing NRTE comminuted chicken
or turkey product. During an FSA, if an
Enforcement Investigations and
Analysis Officer (EIAO) finds that an
establishment producing such product
has not reassessed its HACCP plan and
should have done so, the EIAO will
inform inspection program personnel at
the establishment. Those personnel will
then inform the establishment that it
needs to reassess its HACCP plan for
this product. If an establishment does
not perform reassessment after it is
advised to do so, FSIS will issue a
noncompliance record. FSIS will post
on its Web site an update on what it
finds on the status of reassessments
through the poultry checklist, discussed
below. In addition, FSIS will prepare
and post a report on what it has learned
about the reassessments from the FSAs
that EIAOs have conducted.
FSIS began the new Agency sampling
and testing of raw comminuted chicken
and turkey products on June 1, 2013
(FSIS Notice 35–13; https://
www.fsis.usda.gov/wps/wcm/connect/
366615fa-923b-4d9a-954d-c6ad30
ea3242/35-13.pdf?MOD=AJPERES&
CONVERT_TO=url&CACHEID=
366615fa-923b-4d9a-954dc6ad30ea3242). This sampling and
testing for Salmonella and
Campylobacter does not include heattreated NRTE comminuted chicken or
turkey. FSIS is analyzing the results of
the new sampling and testing. FSIS has
posted aggregate results of this testing
for all finished products as part of its
quarterly report on Salmonella.1
1 https://www.fsis.usda.gov/wps/portal/fsis/topics/
data-collection-and-reports/microbiology/quarterlyreports-salmonella/quarterly-progress-reports.
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FSIS intends to continue the current
sampling program until the new
Salmonella and Campylobacter
pathogen performance standards are
implemented. FSIS intends to derive the
new standards based on a risk
assessment that takes into account the
prevalence and distribution of
Salmonella and Campylobacter in NRTE
comminuted chicken and turkey
product and the predicted illnesses
averted as a consequence of reducing
the prevalence of these pathogens. FSIS
will estimate prevalence when it has
collected enough data to develop
standards.
Until FSIS establishes pathogen
reduction performance standards for
comminuted chicken and turkey, FSIS
recommends that establishments
increase their awareness of the pathogen
incidence in these products and
compare the on-going incidence in their
establishments against the results made
public by FSIS. In addition to the posted
results, FSIS intends to provide each
establishment whose product the
Agency samples with periodic status
reports comparing that establishment’s
results with those industrywide. FSIS
advises establishments to make
necessary changes in their procedures to
control Salmonella and Campylobacter,
particularly if FSIS finds that the levels
of these pathogens in their comminuted
products are higher than those in
similar products of most other
establishments or higher than the
standard.
If establishments implement pathogen
control procedures and conduct their
own verification testing, FSIS advises
them to compare their results to FSIS
results and to make necessary changes
to control the pathogens if their results
are higher than the results of FSIS’s
testing in most other establishments or
the FSIS standard. As has been the
Agency’s practice since February 2006,
when it first began encouraging
establishments to gain more optimal and
consistent process control by attaining
Category 1 status (i.e., half the current
number of acceptable positive samples
in a sample set), FSIS continues to
encourage establishments to gain more
optimal and consistent process control
by achieving test results that are better
than those for most other
establishments, and that are lower than
the FSIS standard.
At this time, not all establishments
apply antimicrobial treatments to the
source materials used for producing
comminuted poultry, including
mechanically separated product. FSIS
is, therefore, revising its FSA Tools to
ensure that EIAOs verify that
establishments adequately address
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Salmonella and Campylobacter in
comminuted poultry, including
mechanically separated product, in their
hazard analysis and food safety system.
Consistent with plans announced in
the December 2012 Federal Register
notice, FSIS is surveying its poultry
inspection program personnel through a
PHIS profile extension questionnaire
during the first half of Fiscal Year (FY)
2014 to gather specific information on
changes made to HACCP plans in
response to the required reassessment
(77 FR 72686, at 72689). FSIS will
evaluate the information gathered from
the questionnaires to determine what
hazards the Agency needs to consider in
establishments that produce NRTE
comminuted chicken and turkey
products, and that FSIS needs to target
in industry-wide FSAs of comminuted
poultry operations. Similarly, if any of
the testing data show high numbers of
Salmonella positives within an
establishment, or high levels of
Salmonella through enumeration, FSIS
may conduct a for-cause FSA at the
establishment that produced the
product or increase verification testing
or inspection procedures at the
establishment, such as sanitary dressing
procedures, until the establishment
controls pathogens on the source
materials and food contact equipment.
For slaughter operations, FSIS may slow
down the evisceration line if conditions,
including contamination resulting from
a lack of process control, are preventing
inspection personnel from adequately
performing inspection procedures
within the time available (9 CFR
381.68(c)).
FSIS announced its Salmonella
Action Plan on December 4, 2013.2
According to the plan, FSIS intends to
complete a risk assessment and develop
Salmonella performance standards for
comminuted poultry this fiscal year.
FSIS also intends to announce and
request comment in the Federal
Register on the setting of pathogen
reduction performance standards for
Salmonella and Campylobacter during
this fiscal year for poultry parts and
comminuted poultry. FSIS will then
analyze the comments and announce
final standards in a subsequent Federal
Register notice and would provide time
for establishments to make any changes
to their procedures before assessing
whether establishments meet the new
standards. FSIS is analyzing the testing
2 https://www.fsis.usda.gov/wps/portal/fsis/topics/
food-safety-education/get-answers/food-safety-factsheets/foodborne-illness-and-disease/salmonella/
sap.
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data discussed above to develop
proposed new standards.
Summary of Comments and Responses
FSIS received 22 comments in
response to the December 2012 notice.
Of those comments, one was a joint
submission signed by eight consumer
advocacy groups, and another was from
a coalition of six trade associations on
behalf of their member companies. The
remaining individual comments were
from private citizens, domestic poultry
processors, trade associations, industry
advocacy associations, a consumer
advocacy organization, a food marketing
company, a private foreign consulting
agency, and a member of academia.
FSIS has summarized and responded to
the comments below.
Administrative Procedure Act
Comment: One comment claimed that
the Agency is violating the
Administrative Procedure Act by
effectively promulgating new regulatory
requirements without following notice
and comment procedures.
Response: The notice did not
establish any new requirements. The
December 2012 Federal Register notice
was based on the Agency’s
determination that changes had
occurred that could affect
establishments’ hazard analysis for
comminuted poultry products because
of the outbreaks and recalls described in
the December 2012 notice. Therefore, as
FSIS explained in the March 7, 2013
Federal Register, the predicate for
triggering the reassessment required
under 9 CFR 417.4 (a)(3) clearly existed
(78 FR 14635). FSIS provided
recommendations on issues
establishments should consider during
the reassessment but did not require
establishments to consider those
specific issues.
Although FSIS did not set new
requirements for industry, the Agency
provided a comment period. In
addition, before beginning new
sampling or verifying that
establishments had reassessed their
HACCP plans, FSIS delayed
implementation to carefully consider
issues that were raised in comments.
Definition of NRTE Comminuted Poultry
Comment: Several comments
commended FSIS for expanding its
Salmonella verification sampling
program to include previously untested
forms of NRTE comminuted poultry
products and for taking actions to assess
the prevalence of Salmonella and
Campylobacter in these products.
However, a turkey processor remarked
that the Agency’s definition for NRTE
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comminuted poultry is ‘‘excessively
broad.’’ Instead of the term
‘‘comminuted,’’ several comments
stated that FSIS should maintain its
current use of the terms ‘‘mechanically
separated,’’ as defined in 9 CFR Part
381, and ‘‘ground’’ when implementing
the new sampling.
Response: FSIS considers ‘‘NRTE
comminuted poultry’’ to be any NRTE
chicken or turkey product that has been
ground, mechanically separated, or
hand- or mechanically deboned and
further chopped, flaked, minced or
otherwise processed to reduce particle
size (77 FR 72687). FSIS developed this
definition to encompass not only
ground and mechanically separated
poultry products but also other similarly
produced products across the spectrum
of comminuted poultry products,
including those with ingredients added
during the comminution process,
because production of any NRTE
comminuted poultry involves similar
processes that make them susceptible to
the same hazards. FSIS had not
previously included mechanically
separated product or other comminuted
product in its ground poultry sampling
frame. By expanding the sampling frame
to include all raw comminuted
products, FSIS can verify that
establishments are adequately
controlling hazards in products
produced by similar processes.
HACCP Plan Reassessment
Comment: Several comments
supported HACCP plan reassessment for
establishments producing NRTE
comminuted chicken and turkey to take
into account recent Salmonella
outbreaks. Conversely, a domestic
chicken processor and several trade
associations objected to the required
reassessment because FSIS failed to
provide evidence in the notice that a
food safety hazard has historically
occurred or is reasonably likely to occur
in the production of all NRTE
comminuted poultry products. Several
comments stated that the ground turkey
products recalled in 2011, discussed in
the December 2012 notice, contained no
mechanically separated turkey.
Response: Although one outbreak and
a subsequent recall discussed in the
December 2012 notice involved only
ground turkey products, the 2011
Salmonella Heidelberg outbreak 3 (FSIS
Recall Case #060–2011) 4 discussed in
3 A total of 79 persons infected with the outbreak
strain of Salmonella Heidelberg were reported from
26 states between March 1 and August 3, 2011.
4 Information on this recall and others can be
found on the FSIS Web page (https://
www.fsis.usda.gov), through the ‘‘FSIS Recalls’’
link, under the recall case number.
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the notice was specifically associated
with mechanically separated turkey
source materials. Furthermore, all
comminuted products undergo similar
processing and, for that reason, are
susceptible to the same hazards.
Comminuting intact NRTE chicken or
turkey spreads any surface
contamination throughout the finished
product. Thus, FSIS required
reassessment of HACCP plans for all
NRTE comminuted chicken and turkey
products, including ground, hand- or
mechanically-deboned, and
mechanically separated product.
Importantly, on January 10, 2014,
FSIS announced a product recall (FSIS
Recall Case #001–2014) involving NRTE
mechanically separated chicken, linked
to an outbreak, that was sold for
institutional use.
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FSIS Salmonella Verification Sampling
Program Procedures
Comment: One comment requested
that FSIS exempt from sampling and
testing raw comminuted poultry and
turkey source materials destined for
High Pressure Processing (HPP). If the
materials were not exempted from
sampling and testing by FSIS, the
commenter requested that
establishments using HPP be granted the
benefit of having product sampled in its
final, packaged form, after the HPP
Critical Control Point.
Response: Any chicken or turkey
product treated with an intervention or
antimicrobial treatment, including HPP,
that has been validated to achieve at
least a 7-log reduction of Salmonella in
poultry product would be considered
RTE and exempt from FSIS Salmonella
verification sampling. (Raw meat
product would need a 5-log reduction of
Salmonella to be exempt from FSIS
Salmonella testing.) The HACCP plan
reassessment requirement announced in
the December 2012 Federal Register
notice did not apply to HACCP plans for
RTE chicken or turkey products. FSIS
generally attempts to sample product
after the product has received all
antimicrobial treatments. In the case of
HPP, which oftentimes is applied offsite at another establishment, if controls
are in place to ensure that the
antimicrobial treatment is applied to the
product, FSIS would attempt to sample
product at the off-site locale after the
antimicrobial treatment is applied.
Comment: An industry advocacy
association stated that the shifting to a
325-gram sample method will impair
FSIS’s and stakeholders’ ability to
compare historical and newly-generated
data. The comment also requested that
FSIS demonstrate how it validated a
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sampling methodology for poultry based
on the larger sample size.
Response: FSIS agrees that comparing
data generated before and after a
microbiologic method change may be
difficult. However, the 325-gram
analytic portion will provide FSIS and
industry with a more accurate estimate
of the presence of Salmonella and
Campylobacter in the products tested.
The larger analytic portion size will also
likely provide FSIS with a clearer
picture of Salmonella serotype
distribution. This increased
understanding will assist FSIS with
foodborne illness source attribution and
outbreak traceback investigations.
To support an increase in the sample
size analyzed, FSIS conducted studies
to verify the performance characteristics
(selectivity, sensitivity, reproducibility)
of the FSIS Salmonella detection
method (FSIS Microbiology Laboratory
Guidebook Chapter 4.06) for poultry and
found no significant difference between
25-gram and 325-gram analytical sample
portions.
Comment: A trade association
recommended that FSIS require safe
handling and cooking instructions on all
domestic and exported NRTE
comminuted poultry product labels. The
commenter also recommended that FSIS
require all mechanically separated
poultry products to be processed into
RTE products. Other commenters
recommended that FSIS establish
additional labeling requirements for
NRTE comminuted products such as,
‘‘For Export Only,’’ ‘‘Must Be Fully
Cooked to a Temperature of 165 °F (74
°C),’’ ‘‘Not for Retail Sale,’’ and stating
the intended use of the product (NRTE
or RTE) on the label.
Response: Safe handling instructions
are required to appear on the labels of
raw or partially cooked NRTE poultry
products (9 CFR 381.125(b)). The
remaining labeling and processing
requirements suggested by the
commenters would require rulemaking
and are outside the scope of this notice.
However, establishments can
voluntarily include validated cooking
instructions or statements of limited use
on product labels.
This January, FSIS sought input from
the National Advisory Committee on
Meat and Poultry Inspection 5 to explore
possible changes to the safe food
handling label on meat and poultry
packages. With this input, FSIS will
consider whether the current safe
handling instruction requirements
should be changed to meet the needs of
the consuming public (78 FR 77643;
Dec. 24, 2013).
5 For more information on the National Advisory
Committee on Meat and Poultry Inspection, visit
https://www.fsis.usda.gov/wps/portal/fsis/topics/
regulations/advisory-committees/nacmpi.
6 https://www.fsis.usda.gov/OPHS/baseline/
rwgrchck.pdf and https://www.fsis.usda.gov/OPHS/
baseline/rwgrturk.pdfhttps://www.fsis.usda.gov/
OPHS/baseline/rwgrturk.pdf, respectively.
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Estimating Prevalence
Comment: Several consumer
advocacy organizations asked how the
Agency intends to use its verification
testing program to determine prevalence
when, in April 2012, FSIS said it was
not possible to estimate prevalence
accurately by using its Salmonella
verification data.
Response: To estimate prevalence in
NRTE comminuted poultry products,
FSIS has replaced its traditional
sampling-set approach with a censustype approach where each
establishment is sampled continuously.
This change will allow estimation of the
average prevalence in each
establishment across the sampling
period. In addition, post-hoc
adjustments for production volume will
allow for national Salmonella and
Campylobacter prevalence estimation.
Comment: A consumer advocacy
organization stated that, to get an
accurate estimate of the national
prevalence of Salmonella, FSIS must
sample from all establishments
producing NRTE comminuted poultry
products, not just establishments in
Category 3. Several comments
recommended that the new sampling of
comminuted chicken and turkey span at
least one year to account for seasonality
when estimating prevalence. An
industry advocacy organization stated
that this sampling program must have
enough samples taken across the
seasons to be statistically significant.
Response: To estimate prevalence,
FSIS is sampling eligible NRTE
comminuted poultry product from all
establishments producing it, regardless
of category status. As stated above, FSIS
is now analyzing the results of the new
sampling and testing.
To address comments received on
seasonality, FSIS analyzed Salmonella
verification sampling data from 2000–
2010 and found no significant seasonal
patterns for either ground chicken or
ground turkey. Accordingly, FSIS
disagrees that the exploratory sampling
period must span at least one year to
account for seasonality. Furthermore,
the existing pathogen reduction
performance standards from the mid1990s for both ground chicken and
ground turkey are based on prevalence
data collected over a period of
approximately three to four months.6
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However, FSIS will use at least 6
months of data on comminuted chicken
and turkey to assess prevalence and
developing standards.
New Performance Standards
Comment: Many comments requested
separate performance standards for
NRTE mechanically separated versus
ground products because of the
differences in how each product
category is produced, marketed, and
used. An industry advocacy association
stated that a performance standard is
not necessary for mechanically
separated chicken products because
mechanically separated chicken is only
sold for inclusion in items that are fully
cooked before sale to consumers.
Response: FSIS will develop separate
Salmonella (and possibly
Campylobacter) pathogen reduction
performance standards for both chicken
and turkey. Before determining whether
to develop different pathogen reduction
performance standards for different
categories of NRTE comminuted poultry
product, FSIS must consider the
prevalence data for these categories that
will be generated during its sampling
program. If the data support doing so,
FSIS may develop separate pathogen
reduction performance standards for
mechanically separated chicken and
turkey. Although FSIS agrees that
products that contain mechanically
separated turkey now, after the August
3, 2011, recall, are typically sold to
consumers fully-cooked, FSIS is aware
of multiple establishments that produce
NRTE products that contain
mechanically separated chicken
destined for sale to consumers as raw
product. As noted earlier, the early
January 2014 recall of mechanically
separated chicken was marketed as
NRTE for institutional use and was
associated with numerous illnesses.
Importantly, FSIS is aware that both
mechanically separated turkey and
mechanically separated chicken are
marketed for export as NRTE product.
FSIS is working with the poultry
industry to better ensure that this type
of product is produced under control
programs that ensure consistent
pathogen reduction in the product.
Comment: A consumer advocacy
organization suggested that FSIS set a
performance standard that is no greater
than 12.3 percent for NRTE comminuted
turkey products to reflect recent
National Antimicrobial Resistance
Monitoring System (NARMS) data. A
domestic processor requested that the
new performance standard be rolled out
over two years to allow for
modifications in sampling
methodologies.
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Response: FSIS will base its estimate
of the prevalence of Salmonella and
Campylobacter in NRTE comminuted
poultry products on the data collected
during the sampling program, while
considering other relevant data sources,
including NARMS. As noted above,
FSIS will announce any new pathogen
reduction performance standards in the
Federal Register and request comment
on them before finalizing. In addition,
before implementing the standards,
FSIS will provide establishments with
sufficient time to make any necessary
changes to address the standards.
Adulterated Product
Comment: Several consumer
advocacy organizations asked FSIS to
declare specific strains of Salmonella
adulterants. They noted the Agency’s
recent determination that certain strains
of pathogenic Escherichia coli (E. coli)
are adulterants. Another comment
stated that FSIS should declare as an
adulterant any Salmonella serotype that
appears on the Center for Disease
Control’s ‘‘top 20’’ list of Salmonella
serotypes of human health concern at
https://www.cdc.gov/ncezid/dfwed/
PDFs/SalmonellaAnnualTable2009.pdf
and that is also antibiotic resistant.
Response: FSIS is considering a
petition for rulemaking submitted by the
Center for Science in the Public Interest
(CSPI) requesting that the Agency issue
an interpretive rule declaring certain
antibiotic-resistant strains of Salmonella
to be adulterants when found in ground
meat and ground poultry.7 FSIS will
address the issues raised by these
commenters when we respond to the
CSPI petition.
Comment: A consumer advocacy
organization said that the Agency
should declare as adulterated any raw
product with the same pulsed field gel
electrophoresis (PFGE) pattern as the
Salmonella serotype associated with an
illness outbreak, even if the product was
produced in an establishment that has
no relationship to the product involved
in an illness outbreak. Conversely, an
industry advocacy organization
remarked that deeming certain strains of
Salmonella adulterated when linked to
an illness would penalize
establishments for events beyond their
control.
Response: As is explained in the
December 2012 Federal Register notice,
FSIS would likely not consider product
of the same type adulterated though it
is found to have the pathogen associated
with the illness outbreak if the product
7 Available at https://www.fsis.usda.gov/wps/wcm/
connect/04cb5fad-c13e-4de7-b391-2acd95191a95/
Petition_CSPI_052511.pdf?MOD=AJPERES.
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were produced in other establishments
that have no relationship to product
involved in the illness outbreak (77 FR
72686, at 72689). A determination of
adulteration would be specific to the
product linked to the illness outbreak,
to the conditions in the establishment
where that product was produced, and
possibly to product in other
establishments when there is a
relationship to the product involved in
the outbreak.
Exporting NRTE Comminuted Poultry
Products
Comment: Several comments
questioned the Agency’s sampling
eligibility policies for exported NRTE
products outlined in FSIS Notice 23–
13.8 A foreign consulting firm and
several domestic processors and trade
associations argued that NRTE
comminuted poultry product being
exported for further processing into RTE
product should be treated the same way
as NRTE comminuted poultry product
destined for processing into RTE
product within official establishments
in the United States. Therefore, these
commenters stated, the product
destined for export should be exempt
from FSIS sampling and testing.
Multiple trade associations asserted that
the ability to export NRTE comminuted
poultry should be based on the
requirements of the importing country,
not domestic requirements.
Response: FSIS stated in the Federal
Register (73 FR 4767; Jan. 28, 2008) that
it will exclude from the Salmonella
verification testing program any
establishment that diverts all of its raw
products to another official, federally
inspected establishment for further
processing into a RTE product. The
instructions provided to inspection
personnel in FSIS Notice 23–13 are
consistent with what we announced in
the January 2008 Federal Register.
If an establishment sends NRTE
mechanically separated poultry product
to export, FSIS cannot verify that all of
the product exported will be processed
into RTE product. Thus, if the product
to be exported is in a class of product
that FSIS samples and tests for
Salmonella and Campylobacter, that
product would be subject to FSIS
verification sampling. In any case, even
if the product is subject to FSIS
Salmonella and Campylobacter testing,
products otherwise eligible for export
could still be exported. Such product
needs to be produced under good
8 Available at https://www.fsis.usda.gov/wps/wcm/
connect/d27b07b5-f3e0-4ae1-8aff-9390c57ce132/
23-13_422.pdf?MOD=AJPERES&CONVERT_
TO=url&CACHEID=d27b07b5-f3e0-4ae1-8aff9390c57ce132.
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ehiers on DSK2VPTVN1PROD with NOTICES
manufacturing practices (GMPs) to
ensure wholesomeness of the product.
GMPs would include process controls to
ensure pathogen reduction at least on
the source materials, and on-going
verification testing to demonstrate that
the product is maintained in a
wholesome manner. As is discussed
above, FSIS is providing test results to
industry on the distribution of
contamination in this type of product.
Establishments desiring to export such
NRTE product should strive to
consistently produce product with a
pathogen positive rate below the
industry average and the FSIS standard,
if one exists.
If a foreign country notifies FSIS that
it will accept raw product from the
United States that is normally subject to
Salmonella and Campylobacter
sampling and testing, but only if the
product is labeled ‘‘for cooking only’’ or
with another statement that indicates
that product is to be handled a certain
way in that country, FSIS would
include that new labeling requirement
in the export library. FSIS would need
to approve the special claims on the
labeling. In addition, inspectors would
need to verify that the product meets the
requirements in the export library, and
that the product is going to a country
that accepts the product as long as it
bears the required labeling. If inspectors
can verify these facts, FSIS likely would
not sample and test the product for
Salmonella and Campylobacter.
However, if there is evidence that the
establishment does not have adequate
on-going controls to demonstrate that
the product is maintained in a
wholesome manner, FSIS may conduct
intensified verification activities at this
establishment, including testing and
inspection procedures such as
verification that the establishment
maintains adequate sanitary dressing
procedures, and that the establishment
is effectively addressing pathogens. If
FSIS is unable to verify that the
establishment is addressing microbial
contamination, FSIS may not certify the
product for export.
Economic Impact of the Notice
Comment: One comment asserted that
FSIS failed to address the negative
economic impact of the 2012 Federal
Register notice on the domestic poultry
industry. An industry advocacy
association estimated that it will cost
some turkey producers close to
$100,000 to transition to the 325-gram
analytic sample size.
Response: As is explained above,
FSIS’s regulations require reassessment
of HACCP plans when changes occur
that could affect the HACCP plan or
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15:19 Apr 18, 2014
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hazard analysis. Therefore, any costs
associated with reassessment would not
be ‘‘new’’ costs. Similarly, FSIS did not
impose any new sampling requirements
on establishments. If establishments
choose to analyze their products for
Salmonella or Campylobacter, they are
not required to use the same sample
analysis procedures as FSIS. The
regulations require the establishment to
maintain documents that support its
verification activities and their
frequency as appropriate for their
intended purpose (9 CFR 417.5(a)(3)).
Comment: Several trade associations
asserted that the changes announced in
the notice will negatively affect
exporters of NRTE mechanically
separated poultry products 9 because
they will be unable to obtain export
certificates for the products.
Response: FSIS finds no evidence that
the notice will jeopardize the ability of
exporters to obtain export certificates.
Establishments can continue to export
comminuted product even if it subject
to FSIS testing.
Salmonella Control Strategies for
Industry
Comment: Several trade associations
requested that FSIS provide small and
very small establishments with specific
guidance that will assist them in
reassessing their HACCP plans for NRTE
comminuted poultry and meat products.
Response: Guidance on how
establishments can meet FSIS
expectations (including pre-harvest and
post-harvest suggestions) for the control
of Salmonella and Campylobacter in
poultry can be found in the Compliance
Guideline for Controlling Salmonella
and Campylobacter in Poultry, Third
Edition, May 2010.10
In addition, Attachment 1 11 to FSIS
Notice 17–13 12 details lessons learned
regarding establishment sanitation,
intervention use, and cooking
instructions validation associated with
two outbreaks involving NRTE
comminuted poultry products. FSIS also
sent Historical Salmonella Serotype
Information (HSSI) letters to
establishments that produce raw
9 Dr. Paul Aho, Economic Impact of the Loss of
the Export Market for Mechanically Separated
Poultry Meat (February 2013).
10 Available at https://www.fsis.usda.gov/PDF/
Compliance_Guide_Controling_Salmonella_
Campylobacter_Poultry_0510.pdf.
11 Available at https://www.fsis.usda.gov/wps/
wcm/connect/91c2976b-8eb4-4a7f-83909f7889f24709/NRTE-Comminuted-Turkey-ProdOutbreaks.pdf?MOD=AJPERES.
12 Available at https://www.fsis.usda.gov/wps/
wcm/connect/f1e5822e-dd07-49d1-8bf7ecd8d345c09a/17-13_
412.pdf?MOD=AJPERES&CONVERT_
TO=url&CACHEID=f1e5822e-dd07-49d1-8bf7ecd8d345c09a.
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22089
comminuted chicken or turkey products
and that have had ground poultry
samples collected between January 2005
and January 2012. Together with any
existing Salmonella End of Set Letters
(EOSL), the HSSI letters and associated
spreadsheets provide each
establishment with compiled serotype
information on all available positive
FSIS Salmonella results.
FSIS provided the information in the
Attachment and in the HSSI letters
because FSIS anticipated that
establishments producing NRTE
comminuted poultry products would
find the information useful when they
reassessed their HACCP plans for these
products.
Comment: Multiple comments stated
that FSIS failed to include in the
December 2012 notice information on
meaningful anti-Salmonella
interventions or other factors that affect
Salmonella control. Specifically, an
industry advocacy organization stated
that it is not practical to test for
pathogens in incoming flocks, that preharvest information provides little
useful information to set interventions,
and that focusing on serotype-specific
interventions is an ineffective approach
to food safety. A member of academia
said that insufficient attention is being
paid to the practices of poultry growing
operations.
Response: Establishments are in the
best position to assess intervention use,
including antimicrobial treatments,
based on their knowledge of their own
processes. However, as FSIS explained
in the 2012 Federal Register notice,
establishments should ensure that their
slaughter and dressing procedures are
designed to prevent contamination to
the maximum extent possible (77 FR
72686, at 72688). These procedures
should, at a minimum, be designed to
limit the exterior contamination of birds
before exsanguination, as well as to
minimize digestive tract content spillage
during the dressing process. In addition,
the Compliance Guideline for
Controlling Salmonella and
Campylobacter in Poultry and
Attachment 1 of FSIS Notice 17–13
provide guidance on the multiplehurdle approach to reducing pathogens.
Establishments should identify the
critical operating parameters of their
antimicrobial interventions, as
prescribed in their scientific support,
and ensure that they are meeting these
parameters effectively. FSIS found that
the establishments associated with the
outbreaks described in the December
2012 Federal Register notice were not
consistently identifying the appropriate
critical operating parameters of their
antimicrobial interventions or
E:\FR\FM\21APN1.SGM
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Federal Register / Vol. 79, No. 76 / Monday, April 21, 2014 / Notices
consistently applying these
interventions effectively against
pathogens of concern. Inappropriate
application of antimicrobial
interventions can result in
establishments not being able to reduce
pathogens to acceptable levels.
FSIS considers serotype information
to be useful because establishments may
consider measures to control serotypes
of human health concern as well as
measures to control all Salmonella. FSIS
provides serotype information to assist
establishments in identifying pathogen
trends that may indicate one or more
specific sources of Salmonella that
establishments can address.
Interventions may include serotypespecific interventions or controls that
generally impact Salmonella in poultry.
Finally, FSIS encourages
establishments, in considering food
safety hazards that can occur before,
during, and after entry into
establishments, to consider pre-harvest
factors that influence pathogens on
incoming birds. The Compliance
Guideline for Controlling Salmonella
and Campylobacter in Poultry 13
includes pre-harvest information.
ehiers on DSK2VPTVN1PROD with NOTICES
USDA Nondiscrimination Statement
The U.S. Department of Agriculture
(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, audiotape, etc.) 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/federalregister.
FSIS will also make copies of this
Federal Register publication available
through the FSIS Constituent Update,
which is used to provide information
13 Available at https://www.fsis.usda.gov/wps/
wcm/connect/6732c082-af40-415e-9b5790533ea4c252/Compliance_Guide_Controling_
Salmonella_Campylobacter_Poultry_
0510.pdf?MOD=AJPERES.
VerDate Mar<15>2010
15:19 Apr 18, 2014
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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/wps/portal/
fsis/programs-and-services/emailsubscription-service. 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: April 15,
2014.
Alfred V. Almanza,
Administrator.
[FR Doc. 2014–08952 Filed 4–18–14; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410–DM–P
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Forest Service
Wrangell-Petersburg Resource
Advisory Committee
Forest Service, USDA.
Notice of meetings.
AGENCY:
ACTION:
The Wrangell-Petersburg
Resource Advisory Committee (RAC)
will meet in Wrangell, Alaska and
Petersburg, Alaska. The committee is
authorized under the Secure Rural
Schools and Community SelfDetermination Act (Pub. L. 110–343)
(the Act) and operates in compliance
with the Federal Advisory Committee
Act. The purpose of the committee is to
improve collaborative relationships and
to provide advice and recommendations
to the Forest Service concerning projects
and funding consistent with Title II of
the Act. The meetings are open to the
public. The purpose of the meetings is
to review the progress of previously
funded projects, review project
proposals and make recommendations
for allocation of Title II funds.
DATES: The meetings will be held at 8:00
a.m. on the following dates:
• May 9, 2014
• June 6, 2014
SUMMARY:
PO 00000
Frm 00011
Fmt 4703
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• July 19, 2014
All RAC meetings are subject to
cancellation. For status of meeting prior
to attendance, please contact the person
listed under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION
CONTACT.
ADDRESSES: The meetings will be held at
the Wrangell Ranger District, 525
Bennett Street, Wrangell, Alaska; and at
the Petersburg Ranger District, 12 North
Nordic Drive, Petersburg, Alaska.
Interested persons may attend in person
at either location, or by telephone. A toll
free teleconference number for those
who wish to call in will be provided on
request.
Written comments may be submitted
as described under SUPPLEMENTARY
INFORMATION. All comments, including
names and addresses when provided,
are placed in the record and are
available for public inspection and
copying. The public may inspect
comments received at the Petersburg
Ranger District or the Wrangell Ranger
District. Please call ahead to facilitate
entry into the building.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Jason Anderson, District Ranger, by
phone at 907–772–3871 or by email at
jasonanderson@fs.fed.us; or Robert
Dalrymple, District Ranger, by phone at
907–874–2323 or by email at
rdalrymple@fs.fed.us.
Individuals who use
telecommunication devices for the deaf
(TDD) may call the Federal Information
Relay Service (FIRS) at 1–800–877–8339
between 8:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m.,
Eastern Standard Time, Monday
through Friday. Please make requests in
advance for sign language interpreting,
assistive listening devices or other
reasonable accommodation for access to
the facility or proceedings by contacting
the person listed above.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Additional RAC information, including
the meeting agenda and the meeting
summary/minutes can be found at the
following Web site: https://
fsplaces.fs.fed.us/fsfiles/unit/wo/
secure_rural_schools.nsf/RAC/WrangellPetersburg?OpenDocument. The agenda
will include time for people to make
oral statements of three minutes or less.
Individuals wishing to make an oral
statement should request in writing at
least one week prior to the meeting to
be scheduled on the agenda. Anyone
who would like to bring related matters
to the attention of the committee may
file written statements with the
committee staff before or after the
meeting. Written comments and
requests for time for oral comments
must be sent to Jason Anderson, District
Ranger, Petersburg Ranger District, P.O.
E:\FR\FM\21APN1.SGM
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]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 76 (Monday, April 21, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Pages 22084-22090]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-08952]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Food Safety and Inspection Service
[Docket No. FSIS-2012-0007]
HACCP Plan Reassessment for Not-Ready-To-Eat Comminuted Poultry
Products and Related Agency Verification Procedures
AGENCY: Food Safety and Inspection Service, USDA.
ACTION: Notice; response to comments.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: The Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) is responding to
comments on a Federal Register notice, ``HACCP Plan Reassessment for
Not-Ready-to-Eat (NRTE) Comminuted Poultry Products and Related Agency
Verification Procedures,'' that it published on December 6, 2012. The
notice provided updated information on the Agency's sampling and
testing of these products, and on how it is verifying that
establishments are effectively addressing the possible presence of
Salmonella and Campylobacter in them.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Rachel Edelstein, Assistant
Administrator, Office of Policy and Program Development; Telephone:
(202) 205-0495 or by Fax: (202) 720-2025.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background
In the December 6, 2012, Federal Register notice (77 FR 72686),
FSIS informed establishments producing NRTE ground or otherwise
comminuted chicken and turkey products that they must reassess their
Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) plans for these
products. The Agency also described how it would determine whether the
association of NRTE meat or poultry product with an illness outbreak
would make subsequently-produced ``like'' product adulterated. FSIS
announced that it would expand its Salmonella sampling beyond ground
chicken and turkey to include all forms of non-breaded, non-battered
comminuted NRTE chicken or turkey product not destined for further
processing into ready-to-eat (RTE) products. Finally, FSIS announced
that it intended to use the sampling results to determine the
prevalence of Salmonella and Campylobacter in NRTE comminuted chicken
and turkey and to
[[Page 22085]]
develop pathogen reduction performance standards for these products.
In response to an industry request for more time to comment, on
March 7, 2013, FSIS extended the original comment period for the
December 2012 notice by 45 days, until April 20, 2013 (78 FR 14635).
Also on March 7, 2013, FSIS stated in the notice that establishments
that produced NRTE comminuted chicken or turkey products would have to
reassess their HACCP plans for those products by April 20, 2013,
thereby providing them an additional 45 days to conduct the
reassessment. Finally, FSIS announced that it would announce any new
standards in the Federal Register and request comment on them before
implementing them.
FSIS requested comment on the notice concerning the required
reassessment and new sampling to inform FSIS's planned sampling
procedures, to gather information on how best to establish pathogen
reduction performance standards for NRTE comminuted chicken and turkey
products, and to gather any other necessary information on how best to
move forward with addressing Salmonella and Campylobacter in comminuted
poultry products.
On May 8, 2013, FSIS issued instructions to its inspectors to begin
verifying whether establishments had reassessed their HACCP plans (FSIS
Notice 33-13; https://www.fsis.usda.gov/wps/wcm/connect/12ab8084-1641-4e9a-ba3c-c647afe7e428/33-13_447.pdf?MOD=AJPERES&CONVERT_TO=url&CACHEID=12ab8084-1641-4e9a-ba3c-c647afe7e428). From the
available data concerning establishment production and inspection task
procedures from the Public Health Information System (PHIS) and from
District Offices, FSIS found that about 70 percent of inspection
personnel at establishments producing raw and not-heat-treated NRTE
ground or otherwise comminuted chicken or turkey product verified that
the establishments had reassessed their HACCP plans for these products
in light of the outbreak information provided in the December 2012
notice. Inspection personnel found that about 90 percent of the
establishments at which verification occurred had complied with the
reassessment requirements. Most of the establishments that had not
reassessed were very low volume (less than 1,000 pounds average
production of product subject to comminuted poultry sampling) and not
included in the sampling frame for this product.
FSIS found that only 30 percent of inspection personnel verified
whether establishments producing heat-treated NRTE comminuted chicken
or turkey products had reassessed their HACCP plans for these products.
Inspection personnel have had questions about whether reassessment is
required for such products and have had questions concerning whether
the poultry components of these heat-treated products have received a
full lethality treatment or are comminuted. If the products themselves,
or the comminuted poultry component of such products, receive a full
lethality, they would not be subject to the HACCP plan reassessment
requirement.
District Offices will work with inspection program personnel to
ensure that they verify whether all establishments required to reassess
HACCP plans for NRTE comminuted (including ground) chicken or turkey
product do so. In addition, FSIS intends to prioritize completion of
Food Safety Assessments (FSAs) in establishments producing NRTE
comminuted chicken or turkey product. During an FSA, if an Enforcement
Investigations and Analysis Officer (EIAO) finds that an establishment
producing such product has not reassessed its HACCP plan and should
have done so, the EIAO will inform inspection program personnel at the
establishment. Those personnel will then inform the establishment that
it needs to reassess its HACCP plan for this product. If an
establishment does not perform reassessment after it is advised to do
so, FSIS will issue a noncompliance record. FSIS will post on its Web
site an update on what it finds on the status of reassessments through
the poultry checklist, discussed below. In addition, FSIS will prepare
and post a report on what it has learned about the reassessments from
the FSAs that EIAOs have conducted.
FSIS began the new Agency sampling and testing of raw comminuted
chicken and turkey products on June 1, 2013 (FSIS Notice 35-13; https://www.fsis.usda.gov/wps/wcm/connect/366615fa-923b-4d9a-954d-c6ad30ea3242/35-13.pdf?MOD=AJPERES&CONVERT_TO=url&CACHEID=366615fa-923b-4d9a-954d-c6ad30ea3242). This sampling and testing for Salmonella and
Campylobacter does not include heat-treated NRTE comminuted chicken or
turkey. FSIS is analyzing the results of the new sampling and testing.
FSIS has posted aggregate results of this testing for all finished
products as part of its quarterly report on Salmonella.\1\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ https://www.fsis.usda.gov/wps/portal/fsis/topics/data-collection-and-reports/microbiology/quarterly-reports-salmonella/quarterly-progress-reports.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
FSIS intends to continue the current sampling program until the new
Salmonella and Campylobacter pathogen performance standards are
implemented. FSIS intends to derive the new standards based on a risk
assessment that takes into account the prevalence and distribution of
Salmonella and Campylobacter in NRTE comminuted chicken and turkey
product and the predicted illnesses averted as a consequence of
reducing the prevalence of these pathogens. FSIS will estimate
prevalence when it has collected enough data to develop standards.
Until FSIS establishes pathogen reduction performance standards for
comminuted chicken and turkey, FSIS recommends that establishments
increase their awareness of the pathogen incidence in these products
and compare the on-going incidence in their establishments against the
results made public by FSIS. In addition to the posted results, FSIS
intends to provide each establishment whose product the Agency samples
with periodic status reports comparing that establishment's results
with those industrywide. FSIS advises establishments to make necessary
changes in their procedures to control Salmonella and Campylobacter,
particularly if FSIS finds that the levels of these pathogens in their
comminuted products are higher than those in similar products of most
other establishments or higher than the standard.
If establishments implement pathogen control procedures and conduct
their own verification testing, FSIS advises them to compare their
results to FSIS results and to make necessary changes to control the
pathogens if their results are higher than the results of FSIS's
testing in most other establishments or the FSIS standard. As has been
the Agency's practice since February 2006, when it first began
encouraging establishments to gain more optimal and consistent process
control by attaining Category 1 status (i.e., half the current number
of acceptable positive samples in a sample set), FSIS continues to
encourage establishments to gain more optimal and consistent process
control by achieving test results that are better than those for most
other establishments, and that are lower than the FSIS standard.
At this time, not all establishments apply antimicrobial treatments
to the source materials used for producing comminuted poultry,
including mechanically separated product. FSIS is, therefore, revising
its FSA Tools to ensure that EIAOs verify that establishments
adequately address
[[Page 22086]]
Salmonella and Campylobacter in comminuted poultry, including
mechanically separated product, in their hazard analysis and food
safety system.
Consistent with plans announced in the December 2012 Federal
Register notice, FSIS is surveying its poultry inspection program
personnel through a PHIS profile extension questionnaire during the
first half of Fiscal Year (FY) 2014 to gather specific information on
changes made to HACCP plans in response to the required reassessment
(77 FR 72686, at 72689). FSIS will evaluate the information gathered
from the questionnaires to determine what hazards the Agency needs to
consider in establishments that produce NRTE comminuted chicken and
turkey products, and that FSIS needs to target in industry-wide FSAs of
comminuted poultry operations. Similarly, if any of the testing data
show high numbers of Salmonella positives within an establishment, or
high levels of Salmonella through enumeration, FSIS may conduct a for-
cause FSA at the establishment that produced the product or increase
verification testing or inspection procedures at the establishment,
such as sanitary dressing procedures, until the establishment controls
pathogens on the source materials and food contact equipment. For
slaughter operations, FSIS may slow down the evisceration line if
conditions, including contamination resulting from a lack of process
control, are preventing inspection personnel from adequately performing
inspection procedures within the time available (9 CFR 381.68(c)).
FSIS announced its Salmonella Action Plan on December 4, 2013.\2\
According to the plan, FSIS intends to complete a risk assessment and
develop Salmonella performance standards for comminuted poultry this
fiscal year. FSIS also intends to announce and request comment in the
Federal Register on the setting of pathogen reduction performance
standards for Salmonella and Campylobacter during this fiscal year for
poultry parts and comminuted poultry. FSIS will then analyze the
comments and announce final standards in a subsequent Federal Register
notice and would provide time for establishments to make any changes to
their procedures before assessing whether establishments meet the new
standards. FSIS is analyzing the testing data discussed above to
develop proposed new standards.
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\2\ https://www.fsis.usda.gov/wps/portal/fsis/topics/food-safety-education/get-answers/food-safety-fact-sheets/foodborne-illness-and-disease/salmonella/sap.
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Summary of Comments and Responses
FSIS received 22 comments in response to the December 2012 notice.
Of those comments, one was a joint submission signed by eight consumer
advocacy groups, and another was from a coalition of six trade
associations on behalf of their member companies. The remaining
individual comments were from private citizens, domestic poultry
processors, trade associations, industry advocacy associations, a
consumer advocacy organization, a food marketing company, a private
foreign consulting agency, and a member of academia. FSIS has
summarized and responded to the comments below.
Administrative Procedure Act
Comment: One comment claimed that the Agency is violating the
Administrative Procedure Act by effectively promulgating new regulatory
requirements without following notice and comment procedures.
Response: The notice did not establish any new requirements. The
December 2012 Federal Register notice was based on the Agency's
determination that changes had occurred that could affect
establishments' hazard analysis for comminuted poultry products because
of the outbreaks and recalls described in the December 2012 notice.
Therefore, as FSIS explained in the March 7, 2013 Federal Register, the
predicate for triggering the reassessment required under 9 CFR 417.4
(a)(3) clearly existed (78 FR 14635). FSIS provided recommendations on
issues establishments should consider during the reassessment but did
not require establishments to consider those specific issues.
Although FSIS did not set new requirements for industry, the Agency
provided a comment period. In addition, before beginning new sampling
or verifying that establishments had reassessed their HACCP plans, FSIS
delayed implementation to carefully consider issues that were raised in
comments.
Definition of NRTE Comminuted Poultry
Comment: Several comments commended FSIS for expanding its
Salmonella verification sampling program to include previously untested
forms of NRTE comminuted poultry products and for taking actions to
assess the prevalence of Salmonella and Campylobacter in these
products. However, a turkey processor remarked that the Agency's
definition for NRTE comminuted poultry is ``excessively broad.''
Instead of the term ``comminuted,'' several comments stated that FSIS
should maintain its current use of the terms ``mechanically
separated,'' as defined in 9 CFR Part 381, and ``ground'' when
implementing the new sampling.
Response: FSIS considers ``NRTE comminuted poultry'' to be any NRTE
chicken or turkey product that has been ground, mechanically separated,
or hand- or mechanically deboned and further chopped, flaked, minced or
otherwise processed to reduce particle size (77 FR 72687). FSIS
developed this definition to encompass not only ground and mechanically
separated poultry products but also other similarly produced products
across the spectrum of comminuted poultry products, including those
with ingredients added during the comminution process, because
production of any NRTE comminuted poultry involves similar processes
that make them susceptible to the same hazards. FSIS had not previously
included mechanically separated product or other comminuted product in
its ground poultry sampling frame. By expanding the sampling frame to
include all raw comminuted products, FSIS can verify that
establishments are adequately controlling hazards in products produced
by similar processes.
HACCP Plan Reassessment
Comment: Several comments supported HACCP plan reassessment for
establishments producing NRTE comminuted chicken and turkey to take
into account recent Salmonella outbreaks. Conversely, a domestic
chicken processor and several trade associations objected to the
required reassessment because FSIS failed to provide evidence in the
notice that a food safety hazard has historically occurred or is
reasonably likely to occur in the production of all NRTE comminuted
poultry products. Several comments stated that the ground turkey
products recalled in 2011, discussed in the December 2012 notice,
contained no mechanically separated turkey.
Response: Although one outbreak and a subsequent recall discussed
in the December 2012 notice involved only ground turkey products, the
2011 Salmonella Heidelberg outbreak \3\ (FSIS Recall Case 060-
2011) \4\ discussed in
[[Page 22087]]
the notice was specifically associated with mechanically separated
turkey source materials. Furthermore, all comminuted products undergo
similar processing and, for that reason, are susceptible to the same
hazards. Comminuting intact NRTE chicken or turkey spreads any surface
contamination throughout the finished product. Thus, FSIS required
reassessment of HACCP plans for all NRTE comminuted chicken and turkey
products, including ground, hand- or mechanically-deboned, and
mechanically separated product.
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\3\ A total of 79 persons infected with the outbreak strain of
Salmonella Heidelberg were reported from 26 states between March 1
and August 3, 2011.
\4\ Information on this recall and others can be found on the
FSIS Web page (https://www.fsis.usda.gov), through the ``FSIS
Recalls'' link, under the recall case number.
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Importantly, on January 10, 2014, FSIS announced a product recall
(FSIS Recall Case 001-2014) involving NRTE mechanically
separated chicken, linked to an outbreak, that was sold for
institutional use.
FSIS Salmonella Verification Sampling Program Procedures
Comment: One comment requested that FSIS exempt from sampling and
testing raw comminuted poultry and turkey source materials destined for
High Pressure Processing (HPP). If the materials were not exempted from
sampling and testing by FSIS, the commenter requested that
establishments using HPP be granted the benefit of having product
sampled in its final, packaged form, after the HPP Critical Control
Point.
Response: Any chicken or turkey product treated with an
intervention or antimicrobial treatment, including HPP, that has been
validated to achieve at least a 7-log reduction of Salmonella in
poultry product would be considered RTE and exempt from FSIS Salmonella
verification sampling. (Raw meat product would need a 5-log reduction
of Salmonella to be exempt from FSIS Salmonella testing.) The HACCP
plan reassessment requirement announced in the December 2012 Federal
Register notice did not apply to HACCP plans for RTE chicken or turkey
products. FSIS generally attempts to sample product after the product
has received all antimicrobial treatments. In the case of HPP, which
oftentimes is applied off-site at another establishment, if controls
are in place to ensure that the antimicrobial treatment is applied to
the product, FSIS would attempt to sample product at the off-site
locale after the antimicrobial treatment is applied.
Comment: An industry advocacy association stated that the shifting
to a 325-gram sample method will impair FSIS's and stakeholders'
ability to compare historical and newly-generated data. The comment
also requested that FSIS demonstrate how it validated a sampling
methodology for poultry based on the larger sample size.
Response: FSIS agrees that comparing data generated before and
after a microbiologic method change may be difficult. However, the 325-
gram analytic portion will provide FSIS and industry with a more
accurate estimate of the presence of Salmonella and Campylobacter in
the products tested. The larger analytic portion size will also likely
provide FSIS with a clearer picture of Salmonella serotype
distribution. This increased understanding will assist FSIS with
foodborne illness source attribution and outbreak traceback
investigations.
To support an increase in the sample size analyzed, FSIS conducted
studies to verify the performance characteristics (selectivity,
sensitivity, reproducibility) of the FSIS Salmonella detection method
(FSIS Microbiology Laboratory Guidebook Chapter 4.06) for poultry and
found no significant difference between 25-gram and 325-gram analytical
sample portions.
Comment: A trade association recommended that FSIS require safe
handling and cooking instructions on all domestic and exported NRTE
comminuted poultry product labels. The commenter also recommended that
FSIS require all mechanically separated poultry products to be
processed into RTE products. Other commenters recommended that FSIS
establish additional labeling requirements for NRTE comminuted products
such as, ``For Export Only,'' ``Must Be Fully Cooked to a Temperature
of 165 [deg]F (74 [deg]C),'' ``Not for Retail Sale,'' and stating the
intended use of the product (NRTE or RTE) on the label.
Response: Safe handling instructions are required to appear on the
labels of raw or partially cooked NRTE poultry products (9 CFR
381.125(b)). The remaining labeling and processing requirements
suggested by the commenters would require rulemaking and are outside
the scope of this notice. However, establishments can voluntarily
include validated cooking instructions or statements of limited use on
product labels.
This January, FSIS sought input from the National Advisory
Committee on Meat and Poultry Inspection \5\ to explore possible
changes to the safe food handling label on meat and poultry packages.
With this input, FSIS will consider whether the current safe handling
instruction requirements should be changed to meet the needs of the
consuming public (78 FR 77643; Dec. 24, 2013).
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\5\ For more information on the National Advisory Committee on
Meat and Poultry Inspection, visit https://www.fsis.usda.gov/wps/portal/fsis/topics/regulations/advisory-committees/nacmpi.
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Estimating Prevalence
Comment: Several consumer advocacy organizations asked how the
Agency intends to use its verification testing program to determine
prevalence when, in April 2012, FSIS said it was not possible to
estimate prevalence accurately by using its Salmonella verification
data.
Response: To estimate prevalence in NRTE comminuted poultry
products, FSIS has replaced its traditional sampling-set approach with
a census-type approach where each establishment is sampled
continuously. This change will allow estimation of the average
prevalence in each establishment across the sampling period. In
addition, post-hoc adjustments for production volume will allow for
national Salmonella and Campylobacter prevalence estimation.
Comment: A consumer advocacy organization stated that, to get an
accurate estimate of the national prevalence of Salmonella, FSIS must
sample from all establishments producing NRTE comminuted poultry
products, not just establishments in Category 3. Several comments
recommended that the new sampling of comminuted chicken and turkey span
at least one year to account for seasonality when estimating
prevalence. An industry advocacy organization stated that this sampling
program must have enough samples taken across the seasons to be
statistically significant.
Response: To estimate prevalence, FSIS is sampling eligible NRTE
comminuted poultry product from all establishments producing it,
regardless of category status. As stated above, FSIS is now analyzing
the results of the new sampling and testing.
To address comments received on seasonality, FSIS analyzed
Salmonella verification sampling data from 2000-2010 and found no
significant seasonal patterns for either ground chicken or ground
turkey. Accordingly, FSIS disagrees that the exploratory sampling
period must span at least one year to account for seasonality.
Furthermore, the existing pathogen reduction performance standards from
the mid-1990s for both ground chicken and ground turkey are based on
prevalence data collected over a period of approximately three to four
months.\6\
[[Page 22088]]
However, FSIS will use at least 6 months of data on comminuted chicken
and turkey to assess prevalence and developing standards.
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\6\ https://www.fsis.usda.gov/OPHS/baseline/rwgrchck.pdf and
https://www.fsis.usda.gov/OPHS/baseline/rwgrturk.pdfhttps://www.fsis.usda.gov/OPHS/baseline/rwgrturk.pdf, respectively.
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New Performance Standards
Comment: Many comments requested separate performance standards for
NRTE mechanically separated versus ground products because of the
differences in how each product category is produced, marketed, and
used. An industry advocacy association stated that a performance
standard is not necessary for mechanically separated chicken products
because mechanically separated chicken is only sold for inclusion in
items that are fully cooked before sale to consumers.
Response: FSIS will develop separate Salmonella (and possibly
Campylobacter) pathogen reduction performance standards for both
chicken and turkey. Before determining whether to develop different
pathogen reduction performance standards for different categories of
NRTE comminuted poultry product, FSIS must consider the prevalence data
for these categories that will be generated during its sampling
program. If the data support doing so, FSIS may develop separate
pathogen reduction performance standards for mechanically separated
chicken and turkey. Although FSIS agrees that products that contain
mechanically separated turkey now, after the August 3, 2011, recall,
are typically sold to consumers fully-cooked, FSIS is aware of multiple
establishments that produce NRTE products that contain mechanically
separated chicken destined for sale to consumers as raw product. As
noted earlier, the early January 2014 recall of mechanically separated
chicken was marketed as NRTE for institutional use and was associated
with numerous illnesses. Importantly, FSIS is aware that both
mechanically separated turkey and mechanically separated chicken are
marketed for export as NRTE product. FSIS is working with the poultry
industry to better ensure that this type of product is produced under
control programs that ensure consistent pathogen reduction in the
product.
Comment: A consumer advocacy organization suggested that FSIS set a
performance standard that is no greater than 12.3 percent for NRTE
comminuted turkey products to reflect recent National Antimicrobial
Resistance Monitoring System (NARMS) data. A domestic processor
requested that the new performance standard be rolled out over two
years to allow for modifications in sampling methodologies.
Response: FSIS will base its estimate of the prevalence of
Salmonella and Campylobacter in NRTE comminuted poultry products on the
data collected during the sampling program, while considering other
relevant data sources, including NARMS. As noted above, FSIS will
announce any new pathogen reduction performance standards in the
Federal Register and request comment on them before finalizing. In
addition, before implementing the standards, FSIS will provide
establishments with sufficient time to make any necessary changes to
address the standards.
Adulterated Product
Comment: Several consumer advocacy organizations asked FSIS to
declare specific strains of Salmonella adulterants. They noted the
Agency's recent determination that certain strains of pathogenic
Escherichia coli (E. coli) are adulterants. Another comment stated that
FSIS should declare as an adulterant any Salmonella serotype that
appears on the Center for Disease Control's ``top 20'' list of
Salmonella serotypes of human health concern at https://www.cdc.gov/ncezid/dfwed/PDFs/SalmonellaAnnualTable2009.pdf and that is also
antibiotic resistant.
Response: FSIS is considering a petition for rulemaking submitted
by the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) requesting that
the Agency issue an interpretive rule declaring certain antibiotic-
resistant strains of Salmonella to be adulterants when found in ground
meat and ground poultry.\7\ FSIS will address the issues raised by
these commenters when we respond to the CSPI petition.
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\7\ Available at https://www.fsis.usda.gov/wps/wcm/connect/04cb5fad-c13e-4de7-b391-2acd95191a95/Petition_CSPI_052511.pdf?MOD=AJPERES.
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Comment: A consumer advocacy organization said that the Agency
should declare as adulterated any raw product with the same pulsed
field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) pattern as the Salmonella serotype
associated with an illness outbreak, even if the product was produced
in an establishment that has no relationship to the product involved in
an illness outbreak. Conversely, an industry advocacy organization
remarked that deeming certain strains of Salmonella adulterated when
linked to an illness would penalize establishments for events beyond
their control.
Response: As is explained in the December 2012 Federal Register
notice, FSIS would likely not consider product of the same type
adulterated though it is found to have the pathogen associated with the
illness outbreak if the product were produced in other establishments
that have no relationship to product involved in the illness outbreak
(77 FR 72686, at 72689). A determination of adulteration would be
specific to the product linked to the illness outbreak, to the
conditions in the establishment where that product was produced, and
possibly to product in other establishments when there is a
relationship to the product involved in the outbreak.
Exporting NRTE Comminuted Poultry Products
Comment: Several comments questioned the Agency's sampling
eligibility policies for exported NRTE products outlined in FSIS Notice
23-13.\8\ A foreign consulting firm and several domestic processors and
trade associations argued that NRTE comminuted poultry product being
exported for further processing into RTE product should be treated the
same way as NRTE comminuted poultry product destined for processing
into RTE product within official establishments in the United States.
Therefore, these commenters stated, the product destined for export
should be exempt from FSIS sampling and testing. Multiple trade
associations asserted that the ability to export NRTE comminuted
poultry should be based on the requirements of the importing country,
not domestic requirements.
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\8\ Available at https://www.fsis.usda.gov/wps/wcm/connect/d27b07b5-f3e0-4ae1-8aff-9390c57ce132/23-13_422.pdf?MOD=AJPERES&CONVERT_TO=url&CACHEID=d27b07b5-f3e0-4ae1-8aff-9390c57ce132.
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Response: FSIS stated in the Federal Register (73 FR 4767; Jan. 28,
2008) that it will exclude from the Salmonella verification testing
program any establishment that diverts all of its raw products to
another official, federally inspected establishment for further
processing into a RTE product. The instructions provided to inspection
personnel in FSIS Notice 23-13 are consistent with what we announced in
the January 2008 Federal Register.
If an establishment sends NRTE mechanically separated poultry
product to export, FSIS cannot verify that all of the product exported
will be processed into RTE product. Thus, if the product to be exported
is in a class of product that FSIS samples and tests for Salmonella and
Campylobacter, that product would be subject to FSIS verification
sampling. In any case, even if the product is subject to FSIS
Salmonella and Campylobacter testing, products otherwise eligible for
export could still be exported. Such product needs to be produced under
good
[[Page 22089]]
manufacturing practices (GMPs) to ensure wholesomeness of the product.
GMPs would include process controls to ensure pathogen reduction at
least on the source materials, and on-going verification testing to
demonstrate that the product is maintained in a wholesome manner. As is
discussed above, FSIS is providing test results to industry on the
distribution of contamination in this type of product. Establishments
desiring to export such NRTE product should strive to consistently
produce product with a pathogen positive rate below the industry
average and the FSIS standard, if one exists.
If a foreign country notifies FSIS that it will accept raw product
from the United States that is normally subject to Salmonella and
Campylobacter sampling and testing, but only if the product is labeled
``for cooking only'' or with another statement that indicates that
product is to be handled a certain way in that country, FSIS would
include that new labeling requirement in the export library. FSIS would
need to approve the special claims on the labeling. In addition,
inspectors would need to verify that the product meets the requirements
in the export library, and that the product is going to a country that
accepts the product as long as it bears the required labeling. If
inspectors can verify these facts, FSIS likely would not sample and
test the product for Salmonella and Campylobacter. However, if there is
evidence that the establishment does not have adequate on-going
controls to demonstrate that the product is maintained in a wholesome
manner, FSIS may conduct intensified verification activities at this
establishment, including testing and inspection procedures such as
verification that the establishment maintains adequate sanitary
dressing procedures, and that the establishment is effectively
addressing pathogens. If FSIS is unable to verify that the
establishment is addressing microbial contamination, FSIS may not
certify the product for export.
Economic Impact of the Notice
Comment: One comment asserted that FSIS failed to address the
negative economic impact of the 2012 Federal Register notice on the
domestic poultry industry. An industry advocacy association estimated
that it will cost some turkey producers close to $100,000 to transition
to the 325-gram analytic sample size.
Response: As is explained above, FSIS's regulations require
reassessment of HACCP plans when changes occur that could affect the
HACCP plan or hazard analysis. Therefore, any costs associated with
reassessment would not be ``new'' costs. Similarly, FSIS did not impose
any new sampling requirements on establishments. If establishments
choose to analyze their products for Salmonella or Campylobacter, they
are not required to use the same sample analysis procedures as FSIS.
The regulations require the establishment to maintain documents that
support its verification activities and their frequency as appropriate
for their intended purpose (9 CFR 417.5(a)(3)).
Comment: Several trade associations asserted that the changes
announced in the notice will negatively affect exporters of NRTE
mechanically separated poultry products \9\ because they will be unable
to obtain export certificates for the products.
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\9\ Dr. Paul Aho, Economic Impact of the Loss of the Export
Market for Mechanically Separated Poultry Meat (February 2013).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Response: FSIS finds no evidence that the notice will jeopardize
the ability of exporters to obtain export certificates. Establishments
can continue to export comminuted product even if it subject to FSIS
testing.
Salmonella Control Strategies for Industry
Comment: Several trade associations requested that FSIS provide
small and very small establishments with specific guidance that will
assist them in reassessing their HACCP plans for NRTE comminuted
poultry and meat products.
Response: Guidance on how establishments can meet FSIS expectations
(including pre-harvest and post-harvest suggestions) for the control of
Salmonella and Campylobacter in poultry can be found in the Compliance
Guideline for Controlling Salmonella and Campylobacter in Poultry,
Third Edition, May 2010.\10\
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\10\ Available at https://www.fsis.usda.gov/PDF/Compliance_Guide_Controling_Salmonella_Campylobacter_Poultry_0510.pdf.
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In addition, Attachment 1 \11\ to FSIS Notice 17-13 \12\ details
lessons learned regarding establishment sanitation, intervention use,
and cooking instructions validation associated with two outbreaks
involving NRTE comminuted poultry products. FSIS also sent Historical
Salmonella Serotype Information (HSSI) letters to establishments that
produce raw comminuted chicken or turkey products and that have had
ground poultry samples collected between January 2005 and January 2012.
Together with any existing Salmonella End of Set Letters (EOSL), the
HSSI letters and associated spreadsheets provide each establishment
with compiled serotype information on all available positive FSIS
Salmonella results.
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\11\ Available at https://www.fsis.usda.gov/wps/wcm/connect/91c2976b-8eb4-4a7f-8390-9f7889f24709/NRTE-Comminuted-Turkey-Prod-Outbreaks.pdf?MOD=AJPERES.
\12\ Available at https://www.fsis.usda.gov/wps/wcm/connect/f1e5822e-dd07-49d1-8bf7-ecd8d345c09a/17-13_412.pdf?MOD=AJPERES&CONVERT_TO=url&CACHEID=f1e5822e-dd07-49d1-8bf7-ecd8d345c09a.
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FSIS provided the information in the Attachment and in the HSSI
letters because FSIS anticipated that establishments producing NRTE
comminuted poultry products would find the information useful when they
reassessed their HACCP plans for these products.
Comment: Multiple comments stated that FSIS failed to include in
the December 2012 notice information on meaningful anti-Salmonella
interventions or other factors that affect Salmonella control.
Specifically, an industry advocacy organization stated that it is not
practical to test for pathogens in incoming flocks, that pre-harvest
information provides little useful information to set interventions,
and that focusing on serotype-specific interventions is an ineffective
approach to food safety. A member of academia said that insufficient
attention is being paid to the practices of poultry growing operations.
Response: Establishments are in the best position to assess
intervention use, including antimicrobial treatments, based on their
knowledge of their own processes. However, as FSIS explained in the
2012 Federal Register notice, establishments should ensure that their
slaughter and dressing procedures are designed to prevent contamination
to the maximum extent possible (77 FR 72686, at 72688). These
procedures should, at a minimum, be designed to limit the exterior
contamination of birds before exsanguination, as well as to minimize
digestive tract content spillage during the dressing process. In
addition, the Compliance Guideline for Controlling Salmonella and
Campylobacter in Poultry and Attachment 1 of FSIS Notice 17-13 provide
guidance on the multiple-hurdle approach to reducing pathogens.
Establishments should identify the critical operating parameters of
their antimicrobial interventions, as prescribed in their scientific
support, and ensure that they are meeting these parameters effectively.
FSIS found that the establishments associated with the outbreaks
described in the December 2012 Federal Register notice were not
consistently identifying the appropriate critical operating parameters
of their antimicrobial interventions or
[[Page 22090]]
consistently applying these interventions effectively against pathogens
of concern. Inappropriate application of antimicrobial interventions
can result in establishments not being able to reduce pathogens to
acceptable levels.
FSIS considers serotype information to be useful because
establishments may consider measures to control serotypes of human
health concern as well as measures to control all Salmonella. FSIS
provides serotype information to assist establishments in identifying
pathogen trends that may indicate one or more specific sources of
Salmonella that establishments can address. Interventions may include
serotype-specific interventions or controls that generally impact
Salmonella in poultry.
Finally, FSIS encourages establishments, in considering food safety
hazards that can occur before, during, and after entry into
establishments, to consider pre-harvest factors that influence
pathogens on incoming birds. The Compliance Guideline for Controlling
Salmonella and Campylobacter in Poultry \13\ includes pre-harvest
information.
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\13\ Available at https://www.fsis.usda.gov/wps/wcm/connect/6732c082-af40-415e-9b57-90533ea4c252/Compliance_Guide_Controling_Salmonella_Campylobacter_Poultry_0510.pdf?MOD=AJPERES.
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USDA Nondiscrimination Statement
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (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, audiotape,
etc.) 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/federal-register.
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/wps/portal/fsis/programs-and-services/email-subscription-service. 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: April 15, 2014.
Alfred V. Almanza,
Administrator.
[FR Doc. 2014-08952 Filed 4-18-14; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-DM-P
