[Federal Register Volume 59, Number 77 (Thursday, April 21, 1994)]
[Unknown Section]
[Page 0]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 94-9589]


[[Page Unknown]]

[Federal Register: April 21, 1994]


                                                    VOL. 59, NO. 77

                                           Thursday, April 21, 1994

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Agricultural Marketing Service

7 CFR Part 59

[Docket No. PY-94-003]

 

Mandatory Egg Products Inspection--Shell Egg Breaking

AGENCY: Agricultural Marketing Service, USDA.

ACTION: Solicitation of comments.

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SUMMARY: The Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) is soliciting 
comments on the mandatory egg products inspection program relative to 
the mechanical breaking of shell eggs. AMS invites written comments on 
whether it is essential that the egg shell be presented together with 
the egg contents for inspection by the breaking machine operator in 
order to determine the wholesomeness of each egg. Consideration of this 
issue is necessary due to a request for approval from an equipment 
manufacturer which utilizes shell egg breaking technology substantially 
different from that previously approved by USDA. This solicitation is 
an opportunity for all interested parties to provide AMS with comments, 
data, and recommendations in order that all available information can 
be considered.

DATES: Comments must be received on or before June 6, 1994.

ADDRESSES: Send written comments, in duplicate, to Janice L. Lockard, 
Chief, Standardization Branch, Poultry Division, Agricultural Marketing 
Service, Room 3944-South, P.O. Box 96456, Washington, DC 20090-6456. 
Comments received may be inspected at this location between 8 a.m and 
4:30 p.m., Eastern Time, Monday through Friday, except holidays. State 
that your comments refer to Docket No. PY-94-003.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Larry W. Robinson, Chief, Grading 
Branch, 202-720-3271.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    The Egg Products Inspection Act (EPIA)(21 U.S.C. 1031 et seq.) 
directs the Secretary of Agriculture to maintain an egg products 
inspection program designed to assure consumers that eggs and egg 
products distributed to them are wholesome, not adulterated, and 
properly labeled and packaged. The program, among other things, 
requires plants processing egg products for commerce to operate under 
mandatory continuous inspection and be subject to the program's 
sanitary, processing, and facility requirements.
    Section 6 of the EPIA (21 U.S.C. 1035) states that each official 
plant shall be operated in accordance with sanitary practices and shall 
have premises, facilities, and equipment as are required by the 
regulations which the EPIA authorizes the Secretary to promulgate to 
carry out the purposes or provisions of the EPIA.
    In addition to specifying the design, material, and construction of 
shell egg breaking equipment (7 CFR 59.502), the regulations require 
that each shell egg be broken in a satisfactory and sanitary manner and 
inspected for wholesomeness by smelling the shell or the egg meat and 
by visual examination at the time of breaking (7 CFR 59.522(f)).
    AMS has received a request from a firm seeking USDA approval of an 
egg breaking machine with a design concept which differs significantly 
from breaking machines currently accepted by USDA for use in officially 
inspected plants. On currently accepted equipment, the contents of each 
individual broken-out egg, together with its shell, are presented for 
inspection at the same moment. On the newly designed machine, only the 
broken-out egg contents are presented at that time.
    Consequently, AMS must consider the issue of whether the absence of 
the shell from its respective contents lessens the ability of the 
operator to determine the wholesomeness of each individual egg. Through 
this solicitation, AMS invites comments from all interested persons in 
the public concerning this issue.
    AMS is not proposing a change to its current regulations at this 
time, or even suggesting that a change might be needed if a new design 
concept breaker were approved. However, due to this technology and the 
increasing frequency with which other new and different technologies 
are being developed, AMS must be prepared to evaluate all ideas and 
determine their potential use without compromising the integrity of the 
EPIA program. Accordingly, it is important that all parties with an 
interest in this issue assist AMS in this evaluation.

    Dated: April 15, 1994.
Lon Hatamiya,
Administrator.
[FR Doc. 94-9589 Filed 4-20-94; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-02-P