[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 206 (Monday, October 26, 1998)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Page 57078]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-28543]


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 Proposed Rules
                                                 Federal Register
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 This section of the FEDERAL REGISTER contains notices to the public of 
 the proposed issuance of rules and regulations. The purpose of these 
 notices is to give interested persons an opportunity to participate in 
 the rule making prior to the adoption of the final rules.
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  Federal Register / Vol. 63, No. 206 / Monday, October 26, 1998 / 
Proposed Rules  

[[Page 57078]]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Food Safety and Inspection Service

9 CFR Part 381

[Docket No. 97-054P]
RIN 0583-AC28


Retained Water in Raw Meat and Poultry Products; Poultry Chilling 
Performance Standards

AGENCY: Food Safety and Inspection Service, USDA.

ACTION: Correction to proposed rule.

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SUMMARY: This document contains corrections to the proposed rule 
(Docket No. 97-054P) which was published Friday, September 11, 1998 (63 
FR 48961). The proposed rule would limit the amount of water retained 
by raw, single-ingredient, meat and poultry products as a result of 
post-evisceration processing, such as carcass washing and chilling. The 
proposed rule also would revise the poultry chilling regulations to 
remove ``command-and-control'' features and make them consistent with 
current technological capabilities, good manufacturing practices, and 
the pathogen reduction/hazard analysis and critical control points (PR/
HACCP) regulations.

DATES: Comments must be received on or before December 10, 1998.

ADDRESSES: Submit one original and one copy of written comments to 
Docket Clerk, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Food Safety and 
Inspection Service, Room 102, 300 12th Street, SW., Washington, DC 
20250-3700. Please refer to docket number 97-054P in your comments. All 
comments submitted in response to this proposal, as well as research 
and background information used by FSIS in developing this document, 
will be available for public inspection in the Docket Clerk's Office 
between 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Patricia F. Stolfa, Assistant Deputy 
Administrator, Office of Policy, Program Development, and Evaluation, 
Food Safety and Inspection Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, 
Washington DC 20250-3700: (202) 205-0699.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    The proposed rule that is the subject of these corrections would 
limit the amount of water retained by raw, single ingredient, meat and 
poultry products as a result of post-evisceration processing, such as 
carcass washing and chilling. Meat and poultry carcasses and parts 
would not be permitted to contain water resulting from post-
evisceration processing unless the establishment demonstrates that 
water retention is necessary to meet applicable food safety 
requirements, such as pathogen reduction performance standards. In 
addition, the establishment would have to disclose on the product label 
the maximum percentage of retained water that could be in the product.
    FSIS is also proposing to revise the poultry chilling regulations 
to improve consistency with the Pathogen Reduction/Hazard Analysis and 
Critical Control Points (PR/HACCP) regulations, eliminate ``command-
and-control'' features, and reflect current technological capabilities 
and good manufacturing practices.

Need for Correction

    As published, the proposed rule contained errors in the regulatory 
text that could prove to be misleading because they reflect unintended 
changes in the current regulations and are inconsistent with the 
preamble explanation.

Correction of Publication

    Accordingly, the publication on September 11, 1998, of the proposed 
rule (Docket No. 97-054P), which was the subject of FR Docket 98-24309, 
is corrected as follows:


Sec. 381.65  [Corrected]

    Paragraph 1. On page 48968, in the third column, in Sec. 381.65, 
after paragraph (e)(2), paragraph (f) is added to read:

    ``(f) Poultry carcasses contaminated with visible fecal material 
shall be prevented from entering the chilling tank.''


Sec. 381.66  [Corrected]

    Paragraph 1. On page 48969, in the first column, paragraph (c)(3) 
is revised to read as follows:
    ``(c)(3) Previously chilled poultry carcasses and major portions 
shall be maintained constantly at 40  deg.F or below until removed from 
the vats or tanks for immediate packaging. Such products may be removed 
from the vats or tanks prior to being cooled to 40  deg.F or below, for 
freezing or cooling in the official establishment. Such products shall 
not be packed until after they have been chilled to 40  deg.F or below, 
except when the packaging will be followed immediately by freezing at 
the official establishment.''
* * * * *
    Dated: October 20, 1998.
Thomas J. Billy,
Administrator.
[FR Doc. 98-28543 Filed 10-23-98; 8:45 am]
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