[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 24 (Thursday, February 5, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Page 5927]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-2763]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Food Safety and Inspection Service
[Docket No. 97-081N]


Equivalence Criteria for Imported Meat and Poultry Products

AGENCY: Food Safety and Inspection Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice of availability and request for comments.

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SUMMARY: The Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) is making 
available for public comment a Codex Alimentarius Commission (Codex) 
discussion paper, which was prepared by New Zealand with participation 
from the United States, Australia and Canada, relating to 
determinations of equivalence of sanitary measures associated with 
different food inspection and certification systems.

DATES: Written comments must be received on or before March 9, 1998.

ADDRESSES: Copies of the Codex Alimentarius Commission (Codex) 
discussion paper relating to judgments of equivalence of sanitary 
measures associated with different food inspection and certification 
systems are available from the FSIS Docket Clerk in the FSIS Docket 
Room, Room 102, Cotton Annex, 300 12th Street, SW, Washington, DC 
20250-3700, between 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday.
    Submit one original and two copies of written comments on the paper 
to: FSIS Docket Clerk, Docket #97-081N, U.S. Department of Agriculture, 
Food Safety and Inspection Service, Room 102, Cotton Annex, 300 12th 
Street, SW, Washington, DC 20250-3700. Facsimile comments may be sent 
to the Docket Clerk at (202) 690-0486. All comments received in 
response to this notice will be available for public comment in the 
Docket Clerk's Office between 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., Monday through 
Friday.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Mark Manis, Director, 
International Policy Division, Office of Policy, Program Development 
and Evaluation; (202) 720-6400, or by electronic mail to 
[email protected].

Background

    FSIS is making available for public comment a Codex discussion 
paper, which was prepared by New Zealand with participation in drafting 
meetings by the United States, Australia and Canada. The paper was 
prepared for the Codex Committee on Food Import and Export Inspection 
and Certification Systems (CCFICS). It discusses and describes: (1) The 
basis for the determination of equivalence of sanitary measures 
associated with different food inspection and certification systems; 
(2) protection from foodborne hazards by application of particular 
sanitary measures, and the ``appropriate level of protection'' that is 
achieved by reference to ``food safety objectives''; (3) application of 
a risk-based approach in the comparison of food safety objectives; (4) 
principles to be utilized in the determination of equivalence; (5) a 
step-wise process for facilitating judgment of equivalence; and (6) the 
need for CCFICS to develop principles and guidelines for the judgment 
of equivalence of sanitary measures.
    FSIS requests comments on whether the paper, which is scheduled for 
presentation at the next CCFICS meeting in late February 1998, provides 
a framework that should be accepted, in general, by the United States 
for international determinations of equivalence between meat and 
poultry inspection systems. Written comments received in response to 
this notice will help prepare U.S. Delegates for the upcoming CCFICS 
discussions on equivalence and will further the development of FSIS 
equivalence policies for imported meat and poultry products. FSIS 
intends to publish equivalence policies for public review and comment 
in the spring of 1998. The Agency will subsequently hold a public 
meeting to obtain additional comments on equivalence determinations.

    Done at Washington, DC on January 28, 1998.
Thomas J. Billy,
Administrator.
[FR Doc. 98-2763 Filed 2-4-98; 8:45 am]
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