[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 130 (Friday, July 5, 1996)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 35157-35158]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-17001]
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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Food Safety and Inspection Service
9 CFR Parts 319 and 381
[Docket No. 95-056N]
Public Health Hazard Analysis Board Report; Availability
AGENCY: Food Safety and Inspection Service, USDA.
ACTION: Notice of availability of report; request for comments.
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SUMMARY: The Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) is announcing
the availability of a report prepared by the Public Health Hazard
Analysis Board on ``Bone Particles and Foreign Material in Meat and
Poultry Products.'' The report contains an executive summary by the
Public Health Hazard Analysis Board, which includes the Board's
conclusions on the establishment of criteria for determining the safety
of meat and poultry products containing bone particles and foreign
materials such as glass, metal and plastic; a list of Board members and
other participants; and a bibliography. FSIS is seeking comments on the
need for and nature of any additional regulatory actions beyond those
provided for in its meat and poultry regulations that should be taken
regarding bone particle size and foreign material, such as glass,
metal, and plastic, in boneless meat and poultry products deboned by
hand or other means.
DATES: Comments will be accepted through August 19, 1996.
ADDRESSES: Interested persons may submit an original and two copies of
written comments and requests for single copies of the report to: FSIS
Docket Clerk, DOCKET #95-056N, Room 4352 South Agriculture Building,
Washington, DC 20250-3700. Oral comments, as provided by the Poultry
Products Inspection Act, can be given to Dr. Jill Hollingsworth, (202)
205-0293. The report and comments will be available for public
inspection in the FSIS Docket Room from 8:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. and from
2:00 p.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dr. Jill Hollingsworth, Deputy
Director, Epidemiology and Emergency Response Program, Food Safety and
Inspection Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Room 2168 South
Building, Washington, DC 20250-3700, (202) 205-0293.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: FSIS is announcing the availability of a
report prepared by the Public Health Hazard Analysis Board (the Board)
on ``Bone Particles and Foreign Material in Meat and Poultry
Products.'' The Board consists of public health, medical, and food
safety experts in FSIS and other government agencies. Private medical
specialists were contacted by the Board for additional information on
the subject. The Board was charged with determining health and safety
concerns related to bone particles or foreign material in boneless meat
and poultry products. Consequently, the Board provided criteria for use
by the Agency to determine the existence of a potential safety hazard,
due to bone particles or foreign material, such as glass, metal, and
plastic, in meat or poultry products, that warrant recall of the
affected product in order to protect the public health.
The Board determined that bone particles less than 0.4 inches (10
mm) would not be considered a safety hazard. Bone particles from 0.4 to
0.8 inches (10 to 20 mm) may present a discomfort, but would be a low
risk for a safety hazard, and bone particles greater than 0.8 inches
(20 mm) have the potential to be a safety hazard and may cause injury
to consumers. According to the Board, any occurrence of foreign
material, such as glass, metal, and plastic, in meat or poultry
products, has the potential to be a safety hazard and should be
evaluated on a case-by-case basis to determine whether it presents such
a hazard.
The Board agreed that boneless product produced in accordance with
the provisions in 9 CFR 319.5 for mechanically-separated meat (MSM) and
provisions in 9 CFR 381.173 (59 FR 62629, December 6, 1994, and 59 FR
55962, November 3, 1995) for mechanically-separated poultry (MSP) to be
effective on November 4, 1996, does not present a safety hazard.
Regulatory requirements limit bone particle size in MSM and MSP which
is produced by crushing or grinding of bone before removal of edible
tissue. Provisions in 9 CFR 319.5 for MSM require that at least 98
percent of bone particles present in MSM be no greater than 0.2 inches
(5 mm) in their greatest dimension, with no bone particles larger than
0.034 inches (0.85 mm) in their greatest dimension. Similar provisions
in 9 CFR 381.173 for MSP require that at least 98 percent of bone
particles present in MSP be no greater than 0.06 inches (1.5 mm) in
their greatest dimension, with no particles greater than 0.08 inches (2
mm) in their greatest dimension. FSIS has concluded that
[[Page 35158]]
these bone particle size limitations represent good manufacturing
practices and reflect processes that are in control and protect
finished product quality. Because bone particles are extremely small in
MSM and MSP, they would not be considered to be a safety hazard.
Products containing bone fragments larger than 0.8 inches (20 mm)
are of regulatory concern to FSIS, and the Agency will consider
regulatory action, as appropriate, to protect consumers. There are
currently no regulations that specifically address the limiting of bone
particle size for boneless meat and poultry products deboned by hand,
or for meat produced by an advanced mechanical method that does not
involve crushing or grinding the bones (59 FR 62551, December 6, 1994).
Safety determinations about boneless product produced by these methods
are made on an ad hoc basis, based on the criteria recommended by the
Board. Companies producing boneless meat and poultry products deboned
by hand or produced by advanced mechanical separation generally employ
manufacturing practices that keep the size of bone particles well below
the 0.8-inch (20-mm) level considered to be a potential safety hazard
by the Board.
FSIS's proposed rule, ``Pathogen Reduction; Hazard Analysis and
Critical Control Point (HACCP) Systems,'' (60 FR 6774, February 3,
1995) proposes requiring meat and poultry processors to establish HACCP
systems of preventive controls to ensure the safety of foods they
produce. This would include the addressing of potential physical
hazards in meat and poultry products, such as bone particles, in HACCP
plans. The proposed HACCP system would place an affirmative duty on
companies to establish procedures to prevent bone particles of foreign
material from presenting a safety hazard in boneless meat and poultry
products.
FSIS invites comments on whether additional regulatory action is
needed, beyond that provided by FSIS in its regulations, regarding bone
particle size and foreign material, such as glass, metal, or plastic,
in boneless meat and poultry products deboned by hand, produced by
advanced mechanical separation, or by other procedural means not
identified in current meat and poultry regulations.
Done at Washington, DC, on: June 27, 1996.
Michael R. Taylor,
Acting Under Secretary for Food Safety.
[FR Doc. 96-17001 Filed 7-03-96; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-DM-P