Food Safety and Inspection Service January 17, 2006 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) is proposing to revise, edit, and consolidate provisions of the standards and procedures for the accreditation of non-Federal analytical chemistry laboratories. Laboratories in the Accredited Laboratory Program (ALP) are accredited to analyze official meat and poultry samples for specific chemical residues or classes of chemical residues, and moisture, protein, fat, and salt. In particular, FSIS is proposing to amend its current regulations regarding the accreditation of non- Federal analytical chemistry laboratories to accommodate the adoption of newer methods for analyzing chemical residues and to correct some data. In addition, FSIS is proposing to make editorial changes to its accredited laboratory regulations to reflect Agency reorganizations and program changes and to improve the clarity and consistency of application for all laboratories participating in the ALP. Finally, FSIS is proposing to consolidate the accredited laboratory regulations from 9 CFR Part 318.21 of the meat inspection regulations and 9 CFR Part 381.153 of the poultry products inspection regulations into a single new part, 9 CFR Part 439, that is applicable to both meat and poultry establishments. Along with the consolidation, redundancies within the regulations have been reduced, with the net result being a more succinct set of regulations.