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

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 request a new information collection for a tracking survey associated with the upcoming Food Safety Education Campaign. FSIS is giving the public 30 days to respond instead of the normal 60 days because of the need to expeditiously conduct the tracking survey so that the Food Safety Education Campaign will be able to begin in July as planned.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 and the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) regulations, this notice announces the Food Safety and Inspection Service's (FSIS) intention to request a revision of a currently approved information collection. The information collection addresses the paperwork requirements specified in the regulations relating to the application for inspection, accreditation of laboratories, and exemptions. FSIS is revising the information collection to increase the estimate of the total burden hours, and because the OMB approval will expire on July 31, 2011.

The Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) is announcing the availability of a compliance guide for small and very small meat establishments on the safe production of ready-to-eat (RTE) meat and poultry products with respect to Salmonella and other pathogens. FSIS has posted this compliance guide on its Significant Guidance Documents Web page (https://www.fsis.usda.gov/Significant_Guidance/index.asp). FSIS encourages small and very small meat establishments that manufacture these products to avail themselves of this guidance document. FSIS is also soliciting comments on this compliance guide. The Agency will consider carefully all comments submitted and will revise the guide as warranted.

The Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) is announcing its intention to change its procedures and withhold a determination as to whether meat and poultry products are not adulterated, and thus eligible to enter commerce, until all test results that bear on the determination have been received. Inspection program personnel periodically sample products for adulterants to verify an establishment's regulatory compliance. The Agency's practice has been to allow these products to bear the mark of inspection, and to enter commerce, even though the test results have not been received. FSIS has asked, but has not required, official establishments to maintain control of products represented by a sample pending test results. Because establishments, including official import inspection establishments, are not consistently maintaining control of product, despite FSIS's request that they do so, adulterated product is entering commerce. Therefore, FSIS is announcing its tentative determination not to apply the mark of inspection until negative results are available and received for any testing for adulterants conducted by the Agency. FSIS invites comments on this proposed change in policy and procedures. FSIS will evaluate comments received in response to this notice. In a subsequent Federal Register notice, FSIS will respond to the comments it receives. FSIS will make any appropriate changes to the policy and procedures based on comments, and in that subsequent Federal Register notice will announce the effective date of the new policy.

The Office of the Under Secretary for Food Safety, U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), is sponsoring a public meeting on June 16, 2011. The objective of the public meeting is to provide information and receive public comments on agenda items and draft United States (U.S.) positions that will be discussed at the 34th session of the Codex Alimentarius Commission (CAC), which will be held in Geneva, Switzerland, July 4-9, 2011. The Under Secretary for Food Safety recognizes the importance of providing interested parties the opportunity to obtain background information on the 34th session of the CAC and to address items on the agenda.

The Office of the Under Secretary for Food Safety, U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), and the Fruit and Vegetable Programs of the USDA Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS), are sponsoring a public meeting on April 5, 2011. The objective of the public meeting is to provide information and receive public comments on agenda items and draft United States (U.S.) positions that will be discussed at the 16th session of the CCFFV of the Codex Alimentarius Commission (Codex), which will be held in Mexico City, Mexico from May 2-6, 2011. The Under Secretary for Food Safety and AMS recognize the importance of providing interested parties the opportunity to obtain background information on the 16th Session of the CCFFV and to address items on the agenda.

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:

The Office of the Under Secretary for Food Safety, U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), and the Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, Food and Drug Administration (FDA), are sponsoring a public meeting on March 16, 2011. The objective of the public meeting is to provide information and receive public comments on agenda items and draft United States (U.S.) positions that will be discussed at the 31st session of the Codex Committee on Fish and Fishery Products (CCFFP) of the Codex Alimentarius Commission (Codex), which will be held in Tromso, Norway, April 11-16, 2011. The Under Secretary for Food Safety and FDA recognize the importance of providing interested parties the opportunity to obtain background information on the 31st session of the CCFFP and to address items on the agenda.

The Office of the Under Secretary for Food Safety, U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, are sponsoring a public meeting on February 22, 2011. The objective of the public meeting is to provide information and receive public comments on agenda items and draft United States (U.S.) positions that will be discussed at the 5th Session of the Codex Committee on Contaminants in Food (CCCF) of the Codex Alimentarius Commission (Codex), which will be held in The Hague, The Netherlands, March 21-25, 2011. The Under Secretary for Food Safety and FDA recognize the importance of providing interested parties the opportunity to obtain background information on the 5th Session of the CCCF and to address items on the agenda.

The Office of the Under Secretary for Food Safety, U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition (CFSAN), are sponsoring a public meeting on February 9, 2011. The objective of the public meeting is to provide information and receive public comments on agenda items and draft United States (U.S.) positions that will be discussed at the 32nd session of the Codex Committee on Methods of Analysis and Sampling (CCMAS) of the Codex Alimentarius Commission (Codex), which will be held in Budapest, Hungary March 7-11, 2011. The Under Secretary for Food Safety and the FDA recognize the importance of providing interested parties the opportunity to obtain background information on the 32nd session of the CCMAS and to address items on the agenda.

The Office of the Under Secretary for Food Safety, U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), and the Office of Pesticide Programs, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), are sponsoring a public meeting on February 24, 2011. The objective of the public meeting is to provide information and receive public comments on agenda items and draft United States (U.S.) positions that will be discussed at the 43rd Session of the Codex Committee on Pesticide Residues (CCPR) of the Codex Alimentarius Commission (Codex), which will be held in Beijing, P.R. China April 4-9, 2011. The Under Secretary for Food Safety and the EPA recognize the importance of providing interested parties the opportunity to obtain background information on the 43rd Session of the CCPR and to address items on the agenda.

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 request a new information collection concerning its Web-based Public Health Information System.

The Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) is amending the Federal meat inspection regulations to provide that establishments that slaughter livestock or prepare livestock carcasses and parts may inflate carcasses and parts with air if they develop, implement, and maintain written controls to ensure that the procedure does not cause insanitary conditions or adulterate the product. FSIS is requiring establishments to incorporate these controls into their Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) plans or Sanitation Standard Operating Procedures (Sanitation SOPs) or other prerequisite programs. In addition, FSIS is amending its regulations to remove the approved methods for inflating livestock carcasses and parts by air and to remove the requirement that establishments submit requests to FSIS for approval of air inflation procedures not listed in the regulations. FSIS is also adding a paragraph in the regulations to make clear that the current prohibition against injecting compressed air into the skulls of cattle remains in force.

In accordance with the Federal Advisory Committee Act, this notice is announcing the re-chartering of the National Advisory Committee on Microbiological Criteria for Foods (NACMCF) by the Secretary of Agriculture on September 24, 2010. The Committee is being renewed in cooperation with the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). The establishment of the Committee was recommended by a 1985 report of the National Academy of Sciences Committee on Food Protection, Subcommittee on Microbiological Criteria, ``An Evaluation of the Role of Microbiological Criteria for Foods.'' The current charter for the NACMCF is available for viewing on the NACMCF homepage at https://www.fsis.usda.gov/About_FSIS/NACMCF/index.asp. At this time the charter is being changed to add one individual affiliated with a consumer group to be appointed to the NACMCF as a representative member. This member will provide a consumer viewpoint to Committee work and will not be required to have a scientific background. The balance of the Committee membership will be scientists, and those who are not regular government employees will be appointed as special government employees.

The Office of the Under Secretary for Food Safety, U.S. 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 13, 2010. The objective of the public meeting is to provide information and receive public comments on agenda items and draft United States (U.S.) positions that will be discussed at the 32nd session of the Codex Committee on Nutrition and Foods for Special Dietary Uses (CCNFSDU) of the Codex Alimentarius Commission (Commission), which will be held in Santiago, Chile, November 1-5, 2010. The Under Secretary for Food Safety and FDA recognizes the importance of providing interested parties the opportunity to obtain background information on the 32nd session of the CCNFSDU and to address items on the agenda.

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 request an extension of an approved information collection regarding the regulatory requirements associated with the production of meat from Advanced Meat Recovery systems because the OMB approval will expire on January 31, 2011.

The Office of the Acting Under Secretary for Food Safety, U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Center for Veterinary Medicine, are sponsoring a public meeting on August 16, 2010. 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 19th Session of the Codex Committee on Residues of Veterinary Drugs in Foods (CCRVDF), which will be held in Burlington, Vermont, from August 30-September 3, 2010. The Acting Under Secretary for Food Safety and the FDA recognize the importance of providing interested parties the opportunity to

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 and the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) regulations, this notice announces the Food Safety and Inspection Service's (FSIS) intention to request a revision of a currently approved information collection regarding Listeria monocytogenes (L. monocytogenes) for ready-to-eat (RTE) meat and poultry products because the OMB approval will expire on November 30, 2010, and to reflect its most recent plant data, which supports an estimate of fewer total burden hours.

In accordance with the Federal Advisory Committee Act, this notice announces that the Secretary of Agriculture signed the charter of the National Advisory Committee on Meat and Poultry Inspection (NACMPI) on June 19, 2010. The charter for the NACMPI is available for viewing on the NACMPI home page at https://www.fsis.usda.gov/About_ FSIS/NACMPI/index.asp.

This notice is announcing that the Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS), the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), are jointly hosting two public meetings to obtain stakeholder input. The first is on July 21, 2010, in Chicago, IL. The second will be held on October 20, 2010, in Portland, OR. The Agencies are requesting information from all stakeholders, including the regulated food industry, State regulators, and consumer groups, on appropriate metrics to be used to assess performance in food safety. The Agencies are also interested in input on stakeholders' understanding and perceptions of metrics currently being used by the Federal Agencies. Although the Agencies are primarily interested in obtaining stakeholder input, the Agencies will present a limited amount of background on the Food Safety Working Group's charge to create meaningful metrics to measure the effectiveness of the Nation's food safety system and the Agency's current thinking on these issues.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 and the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) regulations, this notice announces the Food Safety and Inspection Service's (FSIS) intention to request a revision of an approved information collection regarding pathogen reduction and Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) Systems requirements because OMB approval will expire on December 31, 2010, and to include information on the use of video recordkeeping.

This notice informs the public of the sanitary and phytosanitary standard-setting activities of the Codex Alimentarius Commission (Codex), in accordance with section 491 of the Trade Agreements Act of 1979, as amended, and the Uruguay Round Agreements Act, Public Law 103-465, 108 Stat. 4809. This notice also provides a list of other standard-setting activities of Codex, including commodity standards, guidelines, codes of practice, and revised texts. This notice, which covers the time periods from June 1, 2009, to May 31, 2010, and June 1, 2010, to May 31, 2011, seeks comments on standards under consideration and recommendations for new standards.

The Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) is proposing to revise the Federal meat inspection regulations to permit establishments that slaughter livestock or prepare livestock carcasses and parts to inflate carcasses and parts with air if they develop, implement, and maintain written controls to ensure that the procedure does not cause insanitary conditions or adulterate product. FSIS is proposing to require that establishments incorporate these controls into their Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) plans or Sanitation standard operating procedures (Sanitation SOPs) or other prerequisite programs.

The Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) is amending the Federal poultry products inspection regulations to correct an inadvertent error in the required shackle width for Bar-type cut turkey operations that use J-type cut maximum line speeds.

The Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) is proposing to implement provisions of the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008 by adopting regulations that require official establishments to promptly notify the appropriate District Office that an adulterated or misbranded meat or poultry product has entered commerce; require official establishments to prepare and maintain current procedures for the recall of meat and poultry products produced and shipped by the establishment; and require official establishments to document each reassessment of the establishment's process control plans, that is, its Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point plans.