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

The Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) is changing the fees that it charges meat and poultry establishments, egg products plants, importers, and exporters for providing voluntary inspection, identification, and certification services; overtime and holiday inspection services; and laboratory services. The Agency is raising these fees to reflect, among other factors, national and locality pay increases for Federal employees and inflation. In the past, FSIS has amended its regulations on an annual basis. With this regulation, FSIS is providing for three annual fee increases. This will provide the meat, poultry, and egg industries with more timely cost information. The Agency is also increasing the annual fee for its Accredited Laboratory Program.

The Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) is announcing that its regulations will continue to provide that individual meat and poultry products bearing the claim ``healthy'' (or any other derivative of the term ``health'') must contain no more than 480 milligrams (mg) of sodium; and that meal-type products bearing the claim ``healthy'' (or any other derivative of the term ``health'') must contain no more than 600 mg of sodium. FSIS is deferring indefinitely, until further notice, implementation of the requirements that individual meat and poultry products bearing the claim ``healthy'' (or any other derivative of the term ``health'') contain no more than 360 milligrams (mg) of sodium and that meal-type products bearing the claim ``healthy'' (or any other derivative of the term ``health'') contain no more than 480 mg of sodium.

The Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) is proposing to add the People's Republic of China to the list of countries eligible to export processed poultry and poultry products to the United States. Reviews of the People's Republic of China's laws, regulations, and other materials show that its poultry processing system includes requirements equivalent to all provisions in the Poultry Products Inspection Act (PPIA) and its implementing regulations. FSIS is proposing to allow processed poultry products from the People's Republic of China to be imported into the United States only if they are processed in certified establishments in the People's Republic of China from poultry slaughtered in certified slaughter establishments in other countries eligible to export poultry to the United States. China is not currently eligible to export poultry products to the United States that include birds that were slaughtered in China's domestic establishments. Under this proposed rule, all poultry products exported from the People's Republic of China to the United States will be subject to reinspection at the U.S. ports-of- entry by FSIS inspectors as required by law.

The Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS), a public health regulatory agency committed to ensuring that the nation's commercial supply of meat, poultry, and egg products is safe, wholesome, and correctly labeled and packaged, is soliciting nominations for the Howard E. Bauman Award. The award was created to recognize one or more persons who have shown longstanding commitment, leadership, and service to improving food safety. The Agency is interested in receiving nominations of persons who have positively affected food safety and public health.

The Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) is announcing the availability on its Web site of information regarding new technologies for use in the production of meat, poultry, and egg products that the Agency has received and for which FSIS has written a ``No Objection'' letter. The Web site will include brief descriptions of the new technologies. The availability of this information should increase public and industry awareness of new technologies and foster their use by small and very small plants.

The Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) is reminding all poultry slaughter establishments that, under the Poultry Products Inspection Act (PPIA) and Agency regulations, live poultry must be handled in a manner that is consistent with good commercial practices, which means they should be treated humanely. Although there is no specific federal humane handling and slaughter statute for poultry, under the PPIA, poultry products are more likely to be adulterated if, among other circumstances, they are produced from birds that have not been treated humanely, because such birds are more likely to be bruised or to die other than by slaughter.

This notice announces that the National Advisory Committee on Microbiological Criteria for Foods (NACMCF) will hold public meetings of the full Committee and subcommittees on September 26-29, 2005. The Committee will discuss: (1) Consumer guidelines for the safe cooking of poultry products, (2) analytical utility of Campylobacter methodologies, and (3) determination of cooking parameters for safe seafood for consumers.

The Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) is proposing to amend the Federal poultry products inspection regulations to provide that turkey slaughter establishments that open turkey carcasses with Bar-type cuts may operate at the maximum line speeds established for J- type cuts, if the establishment uses the specific type of shackle described in this proposed rule. Under this proposed rule, as under current regulations, the inspector in charge will reduce line speeds when, in his or her judgment, the prescribed inspection procedure cannot be adequately performed within the time available because of the health conditions of a particular flock or because of other factors. Such factors include the manner in which birds are being presented to the inspector for inspection and the level of contamination among the birds on the line.

The Office of the Under Secretary for Food Safety, United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), are sponsoring a public meeting on October 18, 2005. The objective of the public meeting is to provide information and receive public comments on agenda items and draft U.S. positions that will be discussed at the 27th Session of the Codex Committee on Nutrition and Foods for Special Dietary Uses (CCNFSDU) of the Codex Alimentarius Commission (Codex), which will be held in Bonn, Germany, November 21- 25, 2005. The Under Secretary for Food Safety and FDA recognize the importance of providing interested parties the opportunity to obtain background information on the 27th Session of CCNFSDU and to address items on the agenda.

The Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) is announcing that it will hold a public meeting on Advances in Pre-Harvest Reduction of Salmonella in Poultry on August 25 and August 26, 2005, in Athens, GA. The meeting will consist of presentations on research and practical experiences aimed at reducing Salmonella at the poultry production level, before poultry reaches federally inspected plants. This meeting is the first in a series of public meetings that FSIS intends to hold to discuss new approaches for strengthening food safety.

The Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) is amending the poultry products inspection regulations by terminating the designation of the State of North Dakota under sections 1 through 4, 6 through 10, 11(b), 11(c), and 12 through 22 of the Poultry Products Inspection Act (PPIA). FSIS has concluded that North Dakota is in a position to administer a State poultry inspection program, which is at least equal to the Federal poultry products inspection program.

The Office of the Under Secretary for Food Safety, U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is sponsoring a public meeting on June 9, 2005. The objective of the public meeting is to provide information and receive public comments on agenda items and draft United States' positions that will be discussed at the 28th Session of the Codex Alimentarius Commission (CAC) to be held in Rome, Italy, July 4-9, 2005. The Under Secretary for Food Safety recognizes the importance of providing interested parties with the opportunity to obtain background information on the 28th Session of CAC and to address items on the agenda.

The National Advisory Committee on Meat and Poultry Inspection (NACMPI) will hold a public meeting on June 16-17, 2005, to review and discuss the following issues: (1) How can FSIS best share information on new technology with small and very small plants? (2) What guidance can be provided to industry to ensure that plants hold product when FSIS tests product for an adulterant? (3) How can risk based sampling most effectively be conducted in small and very small plants? Three subcommittees will also meet on June 16-17, 2005, to work on the issues discussed during the full committee session.

The Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) is publishing this notice to inform establishments that produce mechanically tenderized beef products that their next annual HACCP plan reassessment for these products must take into account the fact that there have been three relatively recent Escherichia coli (E. coli) O157:H7 outbreaks associated with consumption of mechanically tenderized beef. This requirement applies to HACCP plan reassessments for raw and cooked mechanically tenderized beef products, including such products that are injected with marinade (or ``enhanced'' products). One outbreak that was associated with consumption of mechanically tenderized beef occurred in August 2000, one in June 2003, and one in August 2004. The occurrence of these outbreaks represents a change that would affect the hazard analysis and could alter the HACCP plans of establishments that produce mechanically tenderized beef products. Therefore, establishments that produce such products should consider the significance of the outbreaks and ensure that their HACCP plans adequately address relevant biological hazards, particularly E. coli O157:H7. If an establishment that produces mechanically tenderized beef products has already considered the significance of the three outbreaks as part of a HACCP plan reassessment, it need not repeat this effort. An establishment that has already conducted its 2005 reassessment for mechanically tenderized beef products and has not yet considered the significance of the three outbreaks as part of a HACCP plan reassessment should do so as part of its 2006 annual HACCP plan reassessment. FSIS invites comments on this notice.

The Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) is proposing to add Chile to the list of countries eligible to export meat and meat products to the United States. Reviews by FSIS of Chile's laws, regulations, and other materials show that its meat inspection system includes requirements equivalent to all provisions in the Federal Meat Inspection Act (FMIA) and its implementing regulations. Although a foreign country may be listed as eligible to export meat and meat products, products from that country must also comply with all other U.S. requirements, including those of the U.S. Customs Service and the restrictions under Title 9, part 94 of the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) regulations that relate to the importation of meat and meat products from foreign countries into the United States. FSIS and APHIS work closely together to ensure that meat and meat products imported into the United States comply with the regulatory requirements of both agencies. Under this proposal, meat and meat products processed in certified Chilean establishments may be exported to the United States. All such products will be subject to re-inspection at United States ports-of- entry by FSIS inspectors.

The Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) is soliciting proposals for cooperative agreement projects to be funded in fiscal year 2005. Proposals should be made in one or more of the cooperative agreement program areas described in this notice.

The Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) is announcing a series of workshops from May through June 2005, to discuss food security awareness, the FSIS Industry Self-Assessment Checklist for Food Security, food security plans, and FSIS Directive 5420.1, Revision 1, Food Security Verification Procedures.

The Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) is announcing the availability of, and requesting public comment on, two draft risk assessments. The first is a quantitative risk assessment of Salmonella in ready-to-eat (RTE) meat and poultry products. The second is a quantitative risk assessment of Clostridium perfringens in RTE and heat-treated, but not RTE, products. The Agency prepared the draft risk assessments to provide scientific information in support of lethality and stabilization performance standards that the Agency proposed for the processing of such products in a notice of proposed rulemaking published February 27, 2001 (66 FR 12590). FSIS is holding a public meeting to present and discuss these draft risk assessments.

The Office of the Under Secretary for Food Safety, United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), United States Department of Health and Human Services, are sponsoring a public meeting on March 29, 2005, to provide draft U.S. positions and receive public comments on agenda items that will be discussed at the 22nd Session of the Codex Committee on General Principles (CCGP) of the Codex Alimentarius Commission (Codex). The 22nd Session of the CCGP will be held in Paris, France, April 11-15, 2005. The Under Secretary of USDA and FDA recognize the importance of providing interested parties with the opportunity to comment on the agenda items that will be debated at this forthcoming session of the CCGP.

The Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) is making available and publishing the results of baseline studies that it has conducted on generic Escherichia coli (E. coli) and Salmonella. Although these studies were conducted between 1997 and 2000, FSIS has decided to make the results available because they may assist inspected establishments in assessing their processes. The publication of these baseline results does not affect the current generic E. coli criteria and Salmonella standards listed in the regulations.

The Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) is adding Slovakia to the list of countries eligible to export meat products to the United States. Reviews of Slovakia's laws, regulations, and other written materials show that its meat processing system meets requirements that are equivalent to the relevant provisions of the Federal Meat Inspection Act (FMIA) and its implementing regulations. Meat products processed in certified establishments in Slovakia will be eligible to be exported to the United States only if these products are derived from cattle, sheep, swine, or goats slaughtered in federally inspected establishments in the United States, or in certified slaughter establishments in other countries eligible to export meat to the United States. All meat products exported from Slovakia to the United States will be subject to reinspection at the U.S. ports-of-entry by FSIS inspectors as required by law.

The Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) is providing notice that it will not provide reimbursable voluntary inspection, certification, and identification services to persons who have delinquent accounts. FSIS charges fees for a variety of voluntary reimbursable inspection, certification, and identification services that it provides to official establishments and plants and non-official establishments, e.g., warehouses, importers, and exporters. FSIS is required to recover the costs of the voluntary inspection, certification, and identification services it provides. FSIS will pursue the collection of debts owed to it for such services.

The Office of the Under Secretary for Food Safety, United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), United States Department of Health and Human Services, are sponsoring a public meeting on February 1, 2005, to provide information and receive public comments on all agenda items that will be discussed at the Nineteenth Session of the Codex Committee on Fats and Oils (CCFO) of the Codex Alimentarius Commission (Codex). The 19th Session of the CCFO will be held in London, United Kingdom, February 21-25, 2005. The Under Secretary and FDA recognize the importance of providing interested parties the opportunity to obtain background information on the agenda items that will be discussed at this forthcoming session of the CCFL.