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

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 and Office of Management and Budget (OMB) regulations, the Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) is announcing its intention to revise the approved information collection for the FSIS Public Health Information System (PHIS) so that FSIS can make periodic updates to the numbering system on the Meat and Poultry Export Certificate of Wholesomeness (FSIS Form 9060-5). The approval for this information collection will expire on January 31, 2021. FSIS is making no changes to the burden estimate.

The Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) is proposing to remove lists of foreign countries eligible to export meat, poultry, and egg products to the United States from its regulations and, instead, utilize lists posted on FSIS' website. A reference to the web address would be included in FSIS' regulations. This change would allow FSIS to more efficiently provide the public with more accurate and up-to-date information. The criteria FSIS uses to evaluate whether a foreign country is eligible to export meat, poultry, or egg products would remain in the regulations and would not change. FSIS would continue to provide an opportunity for public comment when proposing to list new countries as eligible to export these products to the United States.

The Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) is amending the Federal poultry products inspection regulations to add Honduras to the list of countries eligible to export poultry products to the United States. The FSIS review of Honduras' laws, regulations, and inspection system demonstrated that its poultry slaughter inspection system is equivalent to the system FSIS has established under the Poultry Products Inspection Act (PPIA) and its implementing regulations.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 and Office of Management and Budget (OMB) regulations, the Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) is announcing its intention to revise the approved information collection regarding the importation of undenatured inedible meat and egg products into the United States. The approval for this information collection will expire on September 30, 2019. FSIS is adding to this collection a form for samples taken for laboratory examination, research, evaluative testing, or trade show exhibition. The Agency has increased the burden estimate by 23,263 hours due to updated information and the addition of this form.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 and Office of Management and Budget (OMB) regulations, the Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) is announcing its intention to collect information in the form of an exploratory Web-based survey of consumers to evaluate food safety education and communication activities and to inform the development of food safety communication products.

The Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) is announcing the availability of and requesting comments on a guideline to assist the meat and poultry industry develop written programs for responding to consumer complaints about adulterated or misbranded meat and poultry products. FSIS developed this guideline in response to an increase in the number of recalls of meat and poultry products contaminated with foreign materials.

The Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) is announcing the 2019 rates it will charge meat and poultry establishments, egg products plants, and importers and exporters for providing voluntary, overtime, and holiday inspection and identification, certification, and laboratory services. The 2019 basetime, overtime, holiday, and laboratory services rates will be applied on the first FSIS pay period approximately 30 days after the publication of this notice, which begins on January 20, 2019.

The Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) is announcing and requesting comments on revised categorization and follow-up sampling procedures relative to pathogen reduction performance standards. FSIS will proceed with web-posting individual establishments' category status for pathogen reduction performance standards for Salmonella in raw chicken parts and not-ready-to-eat (NRTE) comminuted chicken and turkey, as previously announced, and updating individual poultry carcass establishments' category status in November. However, the category status reported will be based on FSIS sample results during the 52-week window ending the last Saturday of the previous month, rather than on results during the last 13 completed 52-week windows. At the same time, FSIS will no longer include follow- up sampling results as part of the moving window when determining establishment category status. Finally, FSIS will update the individual establishments' category status on its website on a monthly basis and will maintain the last six months of historical establishment-specific categorization data on the website, as it becomes available, using the revised categorization procedures announced in this notice. FSIS intends to use the revised categorization procedures for all establishments subject to a pathogen reduction performance standard for Salmonella or Campylobacter, including beef and pork establishments, in the future. FSIS will announce any expanded use of the revised procedures in the Federal Register and will request public comment. FSIS will proceed with implementing the changes on the date announced in this notice. However, FSIS is seeking comments on the changes as part of its effort to continuously assess and improve the effectiveness of Agency policy.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is soliciting nominations for membership for the National Advisory Committee on Meat and Poultry Inspection (NACMPI). The full Committee consists of 20 members, and each person selected is expected to serve a 2-year term. There are 15 available positions.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 and Office of Management and Budget (OMB) regulations, the Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) is announcing its intention to renew the approved information collection regarding records to be kept by official establishments and retail stores that grind raw beef products. The approval for this information collection will expire on February 28, 2019. FSIS is making no changes to the approved collection.

The Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) is proposing to amend the Siluriformes fish inspection regulations to list Thailand as a country eligible to export Siluriformes fish and fish products to the United States. FSIS is proposing this action because the Agency has reviewed Thailand's laws, regulations, and inspection system as implemented and has determined that Thailand's Siluriformes fish inspection system is equivalent to the system that the United States has established under the Federal Meat Inspection Act (FMIA) and its implementing regulations. Under this proposal, only raw Siluriformes fish and fish products produced in certified Thailand establishments would be eligible for export to the United States. All such products would continue to be subject to re-inspection at U.S. points-of-entry by FSIS inspectors.

The Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) is proposing to amend the Siluriformes fish inspection regulations to list the Socialist Republic of Vietnam (Vietnam) as a country eligible to export Siluriformes fish and fish products to the United States. FSIS is proposing this action because the Agency has reviewed Vietnam's laws, regulations, and inspection system as implemented and has determined that Vietnam's Siluriformes fish inspection system is equivalent to the system that the United States has established under the Federal Meat Inspection Act (FMIA) and its implementing regulations. Under this proposal, only raw Siluriformes fish and fish products produced in certified Vietnamese establishments would be eligible for export to the United States. All such products would continue to be subject to re-inspection at U.S. points-of-entry by FSIS inspectors.

The Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) is announcing the dollar limitations on the amount of meat and meat food products, poultry, and poultry products that a retail store can sell to hotels, restaurants, and similar institutions without disqualifying itself for exemption from Federal inspection requirements. In accordance with FSIS's regulations, for calendar year 2018, the value for the dollar limitation for meat and meat food products remains unchanged at $75,700. For calendar year 2018, the value for the dollar limitation for poultry and poultry products also remains unchanged at $56,600. FSIS reviews the dollar limitations on a yearly basis and makes adjustments based on price changes for these products evidenced by the Consumer Price Index. FSIS is currently considering the retail dollar limitations for Siluriformes fish and fish products. FSIS intends to propose a methodology for setting the dollar limitations for Siluriformes fish and fish products in a separate Federal Register Notice.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 and Office of Management and Budget (OMB) regulations, the Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) is announcing its intention to renew the approved information collection regarding certificates of medical examination. The approval for this information collection will expire on December 31, 2018. FSIS is making no changes to the approved collection.

FSIS is proposing to amend the Federal meat inspection regulations to eliminate the requirement that livestock carcasses be marked with the official inspection legend at the time of inspection in a slaughter establishment, if the carcasses are to be further processed in the same establishment.

The Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) is announcing the availability of and requesting comments on a guideline to assist FSIS-regulated establishments, retail food outlets, and foodservice entities in minimizing public health risks associated with raw or partially-cooked chicken liver. FSIS developed the guideline because there have been several recent Campylobacter and Salmonella illness outbreaks linked to chicken liver dishes like p[acirc]t[eacute]. The guideline represents FSIS's current thinking on this topic and FSIS encourages all affected operations to use it. This document does not present or describe any new regulatory requirements.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 and Office of Management and Budget (OMB) regulations, the Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) is announcing its intention to collect information in the form of consumer research that will include a web- based experimental study and a behavior change study to help inform potential revisions to the current Safe Handling Instructions (SHI) label and assess whether a label revision would improve consumer food safety behaviors. FSIS also will collect information on consumer use and understanding of the labeling on ready-to-eat (RTE) and not-ready- to-eat (NRTE) meat and poultry products, in particular consumers' ability to discern between the two types of products and to ensure that NRTE products that may appear to be ready to eat are thoroughly cooked.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 and Office of Management and Budget (OMB) regulations, the Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) is announcing its intention to renew the approved information collection regarding petitions for rulemaking. The approval for this information collection will expire on November 30, 2018. FSIS is making no changes to the approved collection.

The Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) is announcing the availability of and requesting comments on a guideline for businesses that slaughter livestock or process meat and meat food products on the exemptions to the inspection requirements of the Federal Meat Inspection Act. The guideline explains each of the exemptions, when they apply, and which FSIS regulatory requirements must still be met.

The Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) is proposing to amend the Federal meat inspection regulations by removing the provision requiring the cleaning of hog carcasses before any incision is made preceding evisceration. This provision, although focusing on the presentation of carcass dressing defects, impedes the adoption of more efficient, effective procedures under other regulations to ensure that carcasses and parts are free of contamination. Also, the provision is no longer necessary because other regulations require carcass cleaning, the maintenance of sanitary conditions, and the prevention of hazards reasonably likely to occur in the slaughter process.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 and the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) regulations, the Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) is announcing its intention to renew the approved information collection for Animal Disposition Reporting entered into the Public Health Information System. There are no changes to the existing information collection. The approval for this information collection will expire on August 31, 2018.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 and the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) regulations, the Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) is announcing its intention to revise the approved information collection for the FSIS Public Health Information System (PHIS) to include the FSIS standard export certificate forms 9060-5, 9060-5S, 9060-5A, and 9060-5B. The estimated burden will increase by 11,303 hours due to the addition of these export certificate forms. The approval for this information collection will expire on January 31, 2021.

The Office of the Deputy Under Secretary for Food Safety, U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS), and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) are sponsoring a public meeting on March 15, 2018. The objective of the public meeting is to provide information and receive public comments on agenda items and draft United States (U.S.) positions to be discussed at the 50th Session of the Codex Committee on Pesticide Residues (CCPR) of the Codex Alimentarius Commission (Codex), taking place in Haikou, China between April 9 and 14, 2018. The Acting Deputy Under Secretary for Food Safety and the EPA recognize the importance of providing interested parties the opportunity to obtain background information on the 50th Session of the CCPR and to address items on the agenda.

The Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) is proposing to amend the egg products inspection regulations by requiring official plants that process egg products (herein also referred to as ``egg products plants'' or ``plants'') to develop and implement Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) Systems and Sanitation Standard Operating Procedures (Sanitation SOPs) and to meet other sanitation requirements consistent with the meat and poultry regulations. FSIS is proposing to eliminate those current regulatory provisions that are inconsistent with HACCP, Sanitation SOPs, and the proposed sanitation requirements. FSIS is also proposing to specify in the regulations that official plants are required to process egg products to be edible without additional preparation to achieve food safety. In addition, FSIS is proposing to: Provide for generic approval as part of the prior label approval system for egg products; make changes to labeling requirements for shell eggs consistent with those in the Food and Drug Administration's (FDA's) regulations; require special handling instructions on egg products; eliminate the requirements for prior approval by FSIS of egg products plant drawings, specifications, and equipment; incorporate egg products plants into the coverage of the ``Rules of Practice'' that the Agency follows when initiating administrative enforcement actions; and change the Agency's interpretation of the requirement for continuous inspection in agency law. FSIS is also announcing that it is seeking public comment on draft guidance designed to help small and very small plants producing egg products to meet the new regulatory requirements being proposed in this rulemaking. Should the rule become final, FSIS intends to finalize this guidance.

The Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) is proposing to amend the Federal meat inspection regulations to establish a new inspection system for market hog slaughter establishments that has been demonstrated to provide public health protection at least equivalent to the existing inspection system. Market hog slaughter establishments that do not choose to operate under the new swine inspection system may continue to operate under their existing inspection system. The Agency is also proposing several changes to the regulations that would affect all establishments that slaughter any swine, regardless of the inspection system under which they operate or the age, size, or class of swine. These proposed changes would allow all swine slaughter establishments to develop sampling plans that are more tailored to their specific operations, and thus be more effective in monitoring their specific process control. These proposed changes also would ensure that before the start of slaughter operations, food-contact surfaces are sanitary and free of enteric pathogens.