Food Safety and Inspection Service – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

FSIS is announcing the availability of an updated version of its guideline on documentation needed to support animal-raising or environment-related claims on meat or poultry product labeling. Official establishments submit this documentation to the Agency when they apply for approval of labels with animal-raising or environment- related claims. The updated guideline includes changes made in response to updated scientific information, FSIS sampling data, askFSIS questions, public comments, petitions, and other meetings with Agency stakeholders.

This notice is announcing that the National Advisory Committee on Microbiological Criteria for Foods (NACMCF) will hold a public meeting of the full Committee and Subcommittees from September 24, 2024, to September 26, 2024. The Committee will provide updates on FSIS' Genomics charge and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's (FDA's) Cronobacter spp. in Powdered Infant Formula charge.

FSIS is announcing its proposed determination that raw chicken carcasses, chicken parts, comminuted chicken, and comminuted turkey products contaminated with certain Salmonella levels and serotypes are adulterated within the meaning of the Poultry Products Inspection Act (PPIA). The proposed determination would establish final product standards based on these Salmonella levels and serotypes and would prevent raw chicken carcasses, chicken parts, comminuted chicken, and comminuted turkey products that contain Salmonella at the levels and serotypes that would render them adulterated from entering commerce. FSIS is also proposing to revise the regulations that require that all poultry slaughter establishments develop, implement, and maintain written procedures to prevent contamination by enteric pathogens throughout the entire slaughter and dressing operation to clarify that these procedures must include a microbial monitoring program (MMP) that incorporates statistical process control (SPC) monitoring methods, to require sampling at rehang instead of pre-chill, and to require that all establishments conduct paired sampling at rehang and post-chill.

FSIS is announcing the availability of its updated guideline for the prevention of violative residues in meat and poultry slaughter establishments.

The USDA intends to renew the National Advisory Committee on Meat and Poultry Inspection (NACMPI) charter. The purpose of the Committee is to provide advice to the Secretary of Agriculture concerning State and Federal programs with respect to meat and poultry inspection, food safety, and other matters that fall within the scope of the Federal Meat Inspection Act (FMIA) and the Poultry Products Inspection Act (PPIA).

In accordance with the Federal Advisory Committee Act, FSIS is announcing that the National Advisory Committee on Microbiological Criteria for Foods (NACMCF) will hold a virtual public meeting on June 24, 2024. The Committee will provide updates on FSIS' Genomics charge and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's (FDA's) Cronobacter spp. in Powdered Infant Formula charge.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 and Office of Management and Budget (OMB) regulations, FSIS is announcing its intention to renew an approved information collection regarding requirements for official establishments to notify FSIS of adulterated or misbranded product, prepare and maintain written recall procedures, and document certain Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) plan reassessments. There are no changes to the existing information collection. The approval for this information collection will expire on September 30, 2024.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 and Office of Management and Budget (OMB) regulations, FSIS is announcing its intention to renew an approved information collection regarding requirements for animal disposition reporting in the Public Health Information System. There are no changes to the existing information collection. The approval for this information collection will expire on September 30, 2024.

FSIS is announcing the availability of a guideline to assist meat (including Siluriformes fish and fish products) and poultry establishments in meeting the regulatory requirements for calculating the correct retained water percentage in raw livestock, poultry, and Siluriformes fish carcasses and parts resulting from post-evisceration processing, and the proper labeling of these products. FSIS is also announcing when the Agency will start verifying that establishments are correctly calculating retained water in applicable product. The guideline clarifies the methods an establishment may use to collect and use data to determine the amount of retained water in a product covered by its retained water protocol (RWP). In addition, it provides specific information on protocol development, process control, and air-chilled product claims.

FSIS is amending its regulations to exempt certain records maintained by its AssuranceNet (ANet) system of records from the notification and access provisions of the Privacy Act of 1974 (Privacy Act). FSIS is taking this action because ANet contains information directly associated with investigations conducted by FSIS for law enforcement purposes.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 and Office of Management and Budget (OMB) regulations, FSIS is announcing its intention to renew an approved information collection regarding the labeling requirements for mechanically tenderized beef products. There are no changes to the existing information collection. The approval for this information collection will expire on June 30, 2024.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 and Office of Management and Budget (OMB) regulations, FSIS is announcing its intention to collect information using web surveys to test new labels for safe handling of raw and partially cooked meat and poultry products. This is a new information collection with 3,550 hours.

This notice is announcing that the National Advisory Committee on Microbiological Criteria for Foods (NACMCF) will hold a virtual public meeting from November 14, 2023, through November 16, 2023. The NACMCF Secretariat will introduce newly appointed members for the 2023- 2025 Committee term and introduce a new charge from FSIS on genomic characterization of pathogens. Also, the Committee will continue working on the response to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) Cronobacter spp. in Powdered Infant Formula charge.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 and the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) regulations, FSIS is announcing its intention to request a new information collection to solicit feedback from small and very small establishment owners. FSIS plans to use a multi-language survey to ascertain how FSIS can better service the needs of small and very small establishments and improve outreach to them. This is a new information collection with 417 hours.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 and the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) regulations, FSIS is announcing its intention to request renewal of the approved information collection regarding egg products Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) and Sanitation Standard Operating Procedures (Sanitation SOPs). There are no changes to the information collection. The approval for this information collection will expire on January 31, 2024.

This notice is announcing that the National Advisory Committee on Microbiological Criteria for Foods (NACMCF) will hold a virtual public meeting of the full Committee on August 30, 2023. The Committee will discuss and vote to adopt the following report: Cyclospora cayetanensis in Produce. The Committee will also provide an update on the Cronobacter spp. in Powdered Infant Formula charge.

The Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) is publishing a correction to a proposed determination that published on April 28, 2023. The correction inserts missing information on how to access the proposed determination's Cost Benefit Analysis on the FSIS website.

FSIS is announcing the availability of its updated Best Practices Guidance for Controlling Listeria monocytogenes (Lm) in Retail Delicatessens. The best-practices guidance discusses steps that retailers can take to prevent certain ready-to-eat (RTE) foods that are prepared or sliced in retail delicatessens (delis) and consumed in the home, such as deli meats and deli salads, from becoming contaminated with Lm and thus a source of listeriosis. FSIS encourages retailers to review the guidance and evaluate the effectiveness of their retail practices and intervention strategies in reducing the risk of listeriosis to consumers from RTE meat and poultry deli products.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 and the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) regulations, FSIS is announcing its intention to collect information using focus groups to test new labels for safe handling of raw and partially cooked meat and poultry products. This is a new information collection with 247 hours.

The National Advisory Committee on Microbiological Criteria for Foods (NACMCF) will hold a public meeting of the full Committee and Subcommittees from May 16, 2023 to May 18, 2023. The Committee will provide updates on the charges related to Cyclospora cayetanensis in produce and Cronobacter spp. in Powdered Infant Formula.

Pursuant to the provisions of the rules and regulations of the Department of Agriculture and the Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA), FSIS is announcing a virtual meeting of the National Advisory Committee on Meat and Poultry Inspection (NACMPI). The purpose of the Committee is to advise the Secretary of Agriculture on State and Federal meat and poultry inspection programs, food safety, and other matters that fall within the scope of the Federal Meat Inspection Act (FMIA), and the Poultry Products Inspection Act (PPIA). The committee will convene virtually on June 21-22, 2023, in a public meeting where FSIS will present one charge to the Committee: to offer input on ways FSIS can enhance outreach efforts to best promote equity and bring economic opportunity to underserved communities and individuals, while strengthening the food supply chain and ensuring compliance with food safety regulations.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 and the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) regulations, FSIS is announcing its intention to request revision of the approved information collection regarding State Meat and Poultry Inspection Programs. FSIS is adding 164 burden hours to the collection due to the addition of new states. The approval for this information collection will expire on July 31, 2023.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 and the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) regulations, FSIS is announcing its intention to request renewal of the approved information collection for non-FSIS laboratories (state, local, or private) that test food samples during illness outbreaks and recall investigations. There are no changes to the existing information collection. The approval for this information collection will expire on July 31, 2023.

On February 6, 2023, the USDA published a notice in the Federal Register soliciting nominations for membership on the National Advisory Committee on Microbiological Criteria for Foods (NACMCF). In the notice, FSIS stated that the nomination period would close on March 15, 2023. FSIS is extending the nomination period until April 17, 2023, to provide interested persons with additional time to submit their nomination packages.