Department of Agriculture March 21, 2011 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) published a Federal Register Notice on May 14, 2010 (75 FR 27288) in which it announced the forthcoming implementation of new performance standards for the pathogenic micro-organisms Salmonella and Campylobacter for chilled carcasses in young chicken (broiler) and turkey slaughter establishments. The new performance standards were developed in response to a charge from the President's Food Safety Working Group and based on recent FSIS Nationwide Microbiological Baseline Data Collection Programs. The standards will be applied to sample sets collected and analyzed by the Agency to evaluate establishment performance with respect to requirements of the Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) Rule. The Agency received detailed comments submitted in response to the notice. This notice responds to those comments submitted and explains the changes adopted by the Agency after carefully evaluating comments. These changes include:

We are advising the public that we have prepared a commodity import evaluation document (CIED) that evaluates the phytosanitary measures under which garlic may be imported into the continental United States from the European Union and several other countries. Currently, garlic may be imported from these countries into the United States only if it is treated for certain pests. Based on the CIED, we believe that the application of one or more designated phytosanitary measures other than treatment will be sufficient to mitigate the risks of introducing or disseminating plant pests or noxious weeds via the importation of garlic from these countries into the continental United States. We are making the CIED available to the public for review and comment.

Pursuant to the authorities in the Federal Advisory Committee Act (Pub. L. 92-463) and under the Secure Rural Schools and Community Self-Determination Act of 2000 (Pub. L. 106-393) the Lolo and Kootenai National Forests' Sanders County Resource Advisory Committee will meet on April 21, 2011 at 7 p.m. in Thompson Falls, Montana for a business meeting. The meeting is open to the public.

We are proposing to amend the fruits and vegetables regulations to allow the importation into the continental United States of baby kiwi fruit from Chile, subject to a systems approach. Under this systems approach, the fruit would have to be grown in a place of production that is registered with the Government of Chile and certified as having a low prevalence of Brevipalpus chilensis. The fruit would have to undergo pre-harvest sampling at the registered production site. Following post-harvest processing, the fruit would have to be inspected in Chile at an approved inspection site. Each consignment of fruit would have to be accompanied by a phytosanitary certificate with an additional declaration stating that the fruit had been found free of Brevipalpus chilensis based on field and packinghouse inspections. This proposed rule would allow for the safe importation of fresh baby kiwi from Chile using mitigation measures other than fumigation with methyl bromide.

We are advising the public that we have prepared a pest risk analysis that evaluates the risks associated with the importation into the continental United States of fresh persimmon fruit (Diospyros kaki) from the Republic of South Africa. Based on this analysis, we believe that the application of one or more designated phytosanitary measures will be sufficient to mitigate the risks of introducing or disseminating plant pests or noxious weeds via the importation of fresh persimmon fruit from the Republic of South Africa. We are making the pest risk analysis available to the public for review and comment.