[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 84 (Thursday, May 1, 1997)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 23639-23640]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-11315]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Food Safety and Inspection Service

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

[Docket No. 97-028N]


Technical Conference: Review of E. coli Testing

AGENCY: Food Safety and Inspection Service.

ACTION: Notice of technical conference.

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SUMMARY: The Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) is holding a 
technical conference on May 8, 1997. The purpose of the conference is 
to provide an opportunity for industry, academia, and other interested 
parties to discuss with FSIS new information based on the first 3 
months of testing meat and poultry for the presence of generic E. coli 
bacteria. The E. coli verification testing was required by FSIS's final 
rule ``Pathogen Reduction; Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point 
(HACCP) Systems,'' published on July 25, 1996.

DATES: The meeting will be held from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on May 8, 
1997.

ADDRESSES: The one-day conference will be held at the Holiday Inn 
Rosslyn Westpark Hotel, 1900 North Fort Myer Drive, Arlington, VA 
22209. The hotel has reserved a block of rooms until April 24 for 
participants in the technical conference. Please contact the hotel at 
(800) 368-3408 and cite code FSI to make reservations.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
To register for the conference, contact Ms. Mary Gioglio at (202) 501-
7244, (202) 501-7138, or FAX (202) 501-7642. To arrange for the 
presentation of technical data, contact Ms. Susan Knower (202) 501-
6022, FAX (202) 501-6929. Presenters are asked to submit one original 
and two copies of written comments to: FSIS Docket Clerk, Docket #97-
028N, U.S. Department of

[[Page 23640]]

Agriculture, Food Safety and Inspection Service, Room 102 Cotton Annex 
Building, 300 12th Street, SW., Washington, DC 20250-3700. Persons 
wishing to present technical data are asked to bring 150 copies of 
their data for distribution to participants in the conference. 
Participants who require a sign language interpreter or other special 
accommodations should contact Ms. Gioglio at the above telephone or FAX 
numbers by April 30, 1997.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The final rule on Pathogen Reduction and 
HACCP, published on July 25, 1996, required all slaughter 
establishments to test for E. coli at a frequency based on production 
volume to verify that plants are meeting the established performance 
criteria. In the preamble to the final rule, FSIS solicited comments 
and information on a number of technical issues concerning the 
protocols for E. coli testing and announced that conferences would be 
held to discuss these issues.
    The first conference was held on September 12 and 13, 1996. 
Participants discussed issues such as testing frequency, sampling 
procedures, and revision of the testing protocol to better account for 
differing establishment characteristics.
    At the follow-up conference on May 8, a panel of industry and 
academia representatives will make presentations on E. coli 
verification testing by establishments that slaughter various types or 
subspecies of meat and poultry and discuss their observations and 
views. The new information should determine whether, and to what 
extent, changes are warranted in the testing protocol.
    Transcripts of the conference will be available in the FSIS Docket 
Room.

    Done at Washington, DC, on April 24, 1997.
Thomas J. Billy,
Administrator.
[FR Doc. 97-11315 Filed 4-30-97; 8:45 am]
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