National Advisory Committee on Microbiological Criteria for Foods, 48288-48289 [2015-19748]

Download as PDF 48288 Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 155 / Wednesday, August 12, 2015 / Notices the use of appropriate automated, electronic, mechanical, or other technological collection techniques or other forms of information technology. Comments may be sent to Dana Coale, Office of the Deputy Administrator, USDA/AMS/Dairy Programs, Room 2968–S, 1400 Independence Avenue SW., Washington, DC 20090–6465; Tel: 202–720–4392, Fax: 202–690–3410 or via email at: dana.coale@ams.usda.gov. All comments received will be available for public inspection during regular business hours at the same address. All responses to this notice will be summarized and included in the request for OMB approval. All comments will become a matter of public record. Dated: August 3, 2015. Rex A. Barnes, Associate Administrator, Agricultural Marketing Service. [FR Doc. 2015–19327 Filed 8–11–15; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 3410–02–P DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE Food Safety and Inspection Service [Docket No. FSIS–2015–0035] National Advisory Committee on Microbiological Criteria for Foods Food Safety and Inspection Service, USDA. ACTION: Notice of public meeting. AGENCY: This notice is announcing that the National Advisory Committee on Microbiological Criteria for Foods (NACMCF) will hold meetings of the full Committee and subcommittees on September 9–11, 2015. The Committee will discuss: (1) Effective Salmonella Control Strategies for Poultry and (2) Virulence Factors and Attributes that Define Foodborne Shiga Toxinproducing Escherichia coli (STEC) as Severe Human Pathogens. DATES: The full Committee will hold an open meeting on Wednesday, September 9, 2015 from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. The Subcommittee on Effective Salmonella Control Strategies for Poultry and the Subcommittee on Virulence Factors and Attributes that Define Foodborne Shiga Toxinproducing Escherichia coli (STEC) as Severe Human Pathogens will hold concurrent open subcommittee meetings on Wednesday, June 9, 2015 from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m., Thursday, September 10, 2015 from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., and Friday, September 11, 2015 from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. mstockstill on DSK4VPTVN1PROD with NOTICES SUMMARY: VerDate Sep<11>2014 18:16 Aug 11, 2015 Jkt 235001 The September 9, 2015, full Committee meeting will be held at the Residence Inn by Marriott, Washington DC, 333 E Street SW., Washington, DC 20024. The subcommittee meetings will be held at the Patriot’s Plaza III, 1st Floor Auditorium and Conference Rooms, 355 E. Street SW., Washington, DC 20024. All documents related to the full Committee meeting will be available for public inspection in the FSIS Docket Room, USDA, 355 E. Street SW., Patriots Plaza 3, Room 8–164, Washington, DC 20250–3700, between 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, as soon as they become available. The NACMCF documents will also be available on the Internet at https://www.fsis.usda.gov/ Regulations_&_Policies/Federal_ Register_Notices/index.asp. FSIS will finalize an agenda on or before the meeting dates and post it on the FSIS Web page at https:// www.fsis.usda.gov/News/Meetings_&_ Events/. Please note that the meeting agenda is subject to change due to the time required for Committee discussions; thus, sessions could start or end earlier or later than anticipated. Please plan accordingly if you would like to attend a particular session or participate in a public comment period. Also, the official transcript of the September 9, 2015, full Committee meeting, when it becomes available, will be kept in the FSIS Docket Room at the above address and will also be posted on https://www.fsis.usda.gov/ About/NACMCF_Meetings/. The mailing address for the contact person is: Karen Thomas-Sharp, USDA, FSIS, Office of Public Health Science, 1400 Independence Avenue SW., Patriots Plaza 3, Mailstop 3777, Room 9–47, Washington, DC 20250. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Persons interested in making a presentation, submitting technical papers, or providing comments at the September 1, plenary session should contact Karen Thomas: Phone: (202) 690–6620; Fax (202) 690–6334; Email: Karen.thomas-sharp@fsis.usda.gov or at the mailing address above. Persons requiring a sign language interpreter or other special accommodations should notify Ms. Thomas by September 1, 2015. ADDRESSES: SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Background The NACMCF was established in 1988, in response to a recommendation of the National Academy of Sciences for an interagency approach to microbiological criteria for foods, and in response to a recommendation of the U.S. House of Representatives PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 Committee on Appropriations, as expressed in the Rural Development, Agriculture, and Related Agencies Appropriation Bill for fiscal year 1988. The charter for the NACMCF is available for viewing on the FSIS Internet Web page at https:// www.fsis.usda.gov/About/NACMCF_ Charter/. The NACMCF provides scientific advice and recommendations to the Secretary of Agriculture and the Secretary of Health and Human Services on public health issues relative to the safety and wholesomeness of the U.S. food supply, including development of microbiological criteria and review and evaluation of epidemiological and risk assessment data and methodologies for assessing microbiological hazards in foods. The Committee also provides scientific advice and recommendations to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Departments of Commerce and Defense. Mr. Brian Ronholm, Deputy Under Secretary for Food Safety, USDA, is the Committee Chair; Dr. Susan T. Mayne, Director of the Food and Drug Administration’s Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition (CFSAN), is the Vice-Chair; and Dr. James Rogers, FSIS, is the Executive Secretary. Documents Reviewed by NACMCF FSIS will make all materials reviewed and considered by NACMCF regarding its deliberations available to the public. Generally, these materials will be made available as soon as possible after the full Committee meeting. Further, FSIS intends to make these materials available in electronic format on the FSIS Web page (www.fsis.usda.gov), as well as in hard copy format in the FSIS Docket Room. FSIS will try to make the materials available at the start of the full Committee meeting when sufficient time is allowed in advance to do so. Disclaimer: NACMCF documents and comments posted on the FSIS Web site are electronic conversions from a variety of source formats. In some cases, document conversion may result in character translation or formatting errors. The original document is the official, legal copy. In order to meet the electronic and information technology accessibility standards in Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act, NACMCF may add alternate text descriptors for non-text elements (graphs, charts, tables, multimedia, etc.). These modifications only affect the Internet copies of the documents. Copyrighted documents will not be posted on the FSIS Web site, but will be E:\FR\FM\12AUN1.SGM 12AUN1 Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 155 / Wednesday, August 12, 2015 / Notices available for inspection in the FSIS Docket Room. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE mstockstill on DSK4VPTVN1PROD with NOTICES Additional Public Notification FSIS will announce this notice online through the FSIS Web page located at https://www.fsis.usda.gov/wps/portal/ fsis/topics/regulations/federal-register/ federal-register-notices. FSIS also will make copies of this Federal Register publication available through the FSIS Constituent Update, which is used to provide information regarding FSIS policies, procedures, regulations, Federal Register notices, FSIS public meetings, 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 also is 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. USDA Nondiscrimination Statement USDA prohibits discrimination in all its programs and activities on the basis of race, color, national origin, gender, religion, age, disability, political beliefs, sexual orientation, and marital or family status (Not all prohibited bases apply to all programs). Persons with disabilities who require alternative means for communication of program information (Braille, large print, and audiotape) should contact USDA’s Target Center at (202) 720–2600 (voice and TTY). To file a written complaint of discrimination, write USDA, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights, 1400 Independence Avenue SW., Washington, DC 20250–9410 or call (202) 720–5964 (voice and TTY). USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer. Done at Washington, DC on: August 6, 2015. Alfred V. Almanza, Acting Administrator. [FR Doc. 2015–19748 Filed 8–11–15; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 3410–DM–P VerDate Sep<11>2014 18:16 Aug 11, 2015 Jkt 235001 Food and Nutrition Service [FNS–2015–0013] Request for Information: SNAP and WIC Seeking Input Regarding Procurement and Implementation of Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) Services; Extension of Comment Period Food and Nutrition Service (FNS), USDA. ACTION: Notice; Extension of Comment Period. AGENCY: The Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) is interested in identifying ways to stimulate increased competition in the Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) marketplace and identify procurement or systems features that are barriers to new entrants. FNS is also seeking suggestions which will improve procurement of the delivery of EBT transaction processing services through modifications to, or replacement of, the existing business model. The procurement and implementation of EBT systems by State agencies administering the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) needs to be sustainable for all parties involved. The landscape of EBT is in a heightened state of change, due in part to the recent decision by one of three primary companies providing EBT transaction processing services for SNAP and WIC to no longer solicit or accept any new prepaid card business, including for SNAP and WIC EBT services. In addition, there are numerous EBT projects moving toward the October 1, 2020, statutorilymandated deadline for WIC Program implementation. This Request for Information (RFI) seeks to obtain input from EBT stakeholders and other financial payment industry members and interested parties, regarding options and alternatives available to improve the procurement and current operational aspects of EBT. In this document, FNS has posed various questions to prompt stakeholder responses. We intend to consider and follow up on the alternatives and suggestions that appear to be most viable from both a technical and a cost/benefit standpoint. Interested stakeholders are invited to respond to any or all of the questions that follow, and to identify issues which may not be listed. SUMMARY: PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 48289 FNS is extending the comment period to provide additional time for interested parties to review this Request for Information. DATES: The comment period for the notice that was published on June 23, 2015 (80 FR 35932) has been extended from August 24, 2015 to October 24, 2015. To be assured of consideration, comments must be received on or before October 24, 2015. ADDRESSES: Comments may be submitted through the Federal eRulemaking Portal at www.regulations.gov. Follow the online instructions for submitting comments electronically. Comments can also be mailed or delivered to: Andrea Gold, Director, Retailer Policy and Management Division, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, Food and Nutrition Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, 3101 Park Center Drive, Room 424, Alexandria, Virginia 22302. All comments submitted in response to this notice will be included in the record and will be made available to the public at www.regulations.gov. Please be advised that the substance of the comments and the identity of the individuals or entities commenting will be subject to public disclosure. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Andrea Gold, Director, Retailer Policy and Management Division, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, (703) 305–2434, or via email at andrea.gold@fns.usda.gov. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Background All SNAP State agencies and some WIC State agencies conduct EBT using magnetic stripe cards similar to debit or credit cards. Almost all EBT systems today are integrated such that all of the service requirements are provided within a single system to the relevant State agencies, often referred to as a turnkey system. Over the years, some States have obtained SNAP EBT services by contracting for individual EBT service components to one or more service providers (such as authorization platform, retailer management, transaction switching, client help desk services, and card production). A few State agencies have performed certain EBT services themselves, to control costs or meet the needs of State operations. These State-operated services may include such functions as transaction authorization, retailer training and management, EBT card distribution, and management and customer service. In the WIC Program, several of the State agencies use smart card or chip E:\FR\FM\12AUN1.SGM 12AUN1

Agencies

[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 155 (Wednesday, August 12, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Pages 48288-48289]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2015-19748]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Food Safety and Inspection Service

[Docket No. FSIS-2015-0035]


National Advisory Committee on Microbiological Criteria for Foods

AGENCY: Food Safety and Inspection Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice of public meeting.

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

SUMMARY: This notice is announcing that the National Advisory Committee 
on Microbiological Criteria for Foods (NACMCF) will hold meetings of 
the full Committee and subcommittees on September 9-11, 2015. The 
Committee will discuss: (1) Effective Salmonella Control Strategies for 
Poultry and (2) Virulence Factors and Attributes that Define Foodborne 
Shiga Toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) as Severe Human 
Pathogens.

DATES: The full Committee will hold an open meeting on Wednesday, 
September 9, 2015 from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. The Subcommittee on 
Effective Salmonella Control Strategies for Poultry and the 
Subcommittee on Virulence Factors and Attributes that Define Foodborne 
Shiga Toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) as Severe Human Pathogens 
will hold concurrent open subcommittee meetings on Wednesday, June 9, 
2015 from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m., Thursday, September 10, 2015 from 8:30 a.m. 
to 5:00 p.m., and Friday, September 11, 2015 from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 
p.m.

ADDRESSES: The September 9, 2015, full Committee meeting will be held 
at the Residence Inn by Marriott, Washington DC, 333 E Street SW., 
Washington, DC 20024. The subcommittee meetings will be held at the 
Patriot's Plaza III, 1st Floor Auditorium and Conference Rooms, 355 E. 
Street SW., Washington, DC 20024. All documents related to the full 
Committee meeting will be available for public inspection in the FSIS 
Docket Room, USDA, 355 E. Street SW., Patriots Plaza 3, Room 8-164, 
Washington, DC 20250-3700, between 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., Monday 
through Friday, as soon as they become available. The NACMCF documents 
will also be available on the Internet at https://www.fsis.usda.gov/Regulations_&_Policies/Federal_Register_Notices/index.asp.
    FSIS will finalize an agenda on or before the meeting dates and 
post it on the FSIS Web page at https://www.fsis.usda.gov/News/Meetings_&_Events/. Please note that the meeting agenda is subject to 
change due to the time required for Committee discussions; thus, 
sessions could start or end earlier or later than anticipated. Please 
plan accordingly if you would like to attend a particular session or 
participate in a public comment period.
    Also, the official transcript of the September 9, 2015, full 
Committee meeting, when it becomes available, will be kept in the FSIS 
Docket Room at the above address and will also be posted on https://www.fsis.usda.gov/About/NACMCF_Meetings/.
    The mailing address for the contact person is: Karen Thomas-Sharp, 
USDA, FSIS, Office of Public Health Science, 1400 Independence Avenue 
SW., Patriots Plaza 3, Mailstop 3777, Room 9-47, Washington, DC 20250.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Persons interested in making a 
presentation, submitting technical papers, or providing comments at the 
September 1, plenary session should contact Karen Thomas: Phone: (202) 
690-6620; Fax (202) 690-6334; Email: Karen.thomas-sharp@fsis.usda.gov 
or at the mailing address above. Persons requiring a sign language 
interpreter or other special accommodations should notify Ms. Thomas by 
September 1, 2015.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    The NACMCF was established in 1988, in response to a recommendation 
of the National Academy of Sciences for an interagency approach to 
microbiological criteria for foods, and in response to a recommendation 
of the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Appropriations, as 
expressed in the Rural Development, Agriculture, and Related Agencies 
Appropriation Bill for fiscal year 1988. The charter for the NACMCF is 
available for viewing on the FSIS Internet Web page at https://www.fsis.usda.gov/About/NACMCF_Charter/.
    The NACMCF provides scientific advice and recommendations to the 
Secretary of Agriculture and the Secretary of Health and Human Services 
on public health issues relative to the safety and wholesomeness of the 
U.S. food supply, including development of microbiological criteria and 
review and evaluation of epidemiological and risk assessment data and 
methodologies for assessing microbiological hazards in foods. The 
Committee also provides scientific advice and recommendations to the 
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Departments of 
Commerce and Defense.
    Mr. Brian Ronholm, Deputy Under Secretary for Food Safety, USDA, is 
the Committee Chair; Dr. Susan T. Mayne, Director of the Food and Drug 
Administration's Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition (CFSAN), 
is the Vice-Chair; and Dr. James Rogers, FSIS, is the Executive 
Secretary.

Documents Reviewed by NACMCF

    FSIS will make all materials reviewed and considered by NACMCF 
regarding its deliberations available to the public. Generally, these 
materials will be made available as soon as possible after the full 
Committee meeting. Further, FSIS intends to make these materials 
available in electronic format on the FSIS Web page 
(www.fsis.usda.gov), as well as in hard copy format in the FSIS Docket 
Room. FSIS will try to make the materials available at the start of the 
full Committee meeting when sufficient time is allowed in advance to do 
so.
    Disclaimer: NACMCF documents and comments posted on the FSIS Web 
site are electronic conversions from a variety of source formats. In 
some cases, document conversion may result in character translation or 
formatting errors. The original document is the official, legal copy.
    In order to meet the electronic and information technology 
accessibility standards in Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act, 
NACMCF may add alternate text descriptors for non-text elements 
(graphs, charts, tables, multimedia, etc.). These modifications only 
affect the Internet copies of the documents.
    Copyrighted documents will not be posted on the FSIS Web site, but 
will be

[[Page 48289]]

available for inspection in the FSIS Docket Room.

 Additional Public Notification

    FSIS will announce this notice online through the FSIS Web page 
located at https://www.fsis.usda.gov/wps/portal/fsis/topics/regulations/federal-register/federal-register-notices.
    FSIS also will make copies of this Federal Register publication 
available through the FSIS Constituent Update, which is used to provide 
information regarding FSIS policies, procedures, regulations, Federal 
Register notices, FSIS public meetings, 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 also is 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.

USDA Nondiscrimination Statement

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

    Done at Washington, DC on: August 6, 2015.
Alfred V. Almanza,
Acting Administrator.
[FR Doc. 2015-19748 Filed 8-11-15; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 3410-DM-P
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