[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 80 (Friday, April 25, 1997)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Page 20093]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-10680]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Food Safety and Inspection Service

9 CFR Parts 304, 308, 310, 327, 381, 416, and 417

[Docket 97-029N]


Equivalency Determinations for Sanitation Standard Operating 
Procedures (SSOPs) and Escherichia coli (E. coli) Testing for Countries 
Exporting to the United States

AGENCY: Food Safety and Inspection Service, USDA

ACTION: Notice of meeting.

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SUMMARY: The Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) will hold a 
meeting to discuss its approach to equivalency determinations with 
regard to written Sanitation Standard Operating Procedures (SSOPs) and 
Escherichia coli (E. coli) testing with representatives of countries 
eligible to export meat and poultry products to the United States, 
constituent groups, and other interested parties. The SSOPs and E. coli 
testing requirements became effective on January 27, 1997, pursuant to 
FSIS' final rule, ``Pathogen Reduction; Hazard Analysis and Critical 
Control Point (HACCP) Systems,'' which was published on July 25, 1996.

DATES: The meeting will be held from 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon on May 13, 
1997. Participants will be registered and materials will be distributed 
before the meeting convenes.

ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held in Galleries 2 and 3 of the 
Arlington Hilton Hotel, 950 North Stafford Street, Arlington, VA 22203.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For general information about the 
conference, call (703) 812-6299 for international calls, and (202) 501-
7315 for domestic calls, or FAX (202) 501-7642. For technical 
information about the meeting, contact Ms. Sally Stratmoen at (202) 
720-3781. If you require a sign language interpreter or other special 
accommodations, contact Ms. Mary Harris at (202) 501-7315 by May 6.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Federal Meat Inspection Act and the 
Poultry Products Inspection Act require that foreign countries wishing 
to export meat and poultry products to the United States have 
inspection system controls ``equivalent to'' those of the United 
States. The purpose of this meeting is to describe for and discuss with 
all interested persons the policy FSIS will follow in examining foreign 
inspection systems and making the required ``equivalency'' 
determination in light of the SSOPs and E. coli testing requirements 
that became effective on January 27, 1997, pursuant to the HACCP rule 
(61 FR 38806).

    Done at Washington, DC, on April 18, 1997.
Thomas J. Billy,
Administrator.
[FR Doc. 97-10680 Filed 4-24-97; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-DM-P