[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 132 (Monday, July 12, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Pages 37494-37495]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-17532]


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 Notices
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  Federal Register / Vol. 64, No. 132 / Monday, July 12, 1999 / 
Notices  

[[Page 37494]]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Economic Research Service


Notice of Intent To Seek Approval to Collect Information

AGENCY: Economic Research Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice and request for comments.

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SUMMARY: In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (Pub. 
L. No. 104-13) and Office of Management and Budget (OMB) regulations 5 
CFR Part 1320 (60 FR 44978, August 29, 1995), this notice announces the 
Economic Research Service's (ERS) intention to request approval for a 
survey of cattle, hog, chicken, and turkey slaughter and processing 
plants. The survey would contain questions on the costs of implementing 
and maintaining a Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP) system 
and the usage of pathogen-reducing technologies and methods. These data 
will be used to examine the costs of HACCP regulation, to link the use 
of pathogen-reducing technologies and methods to plant pathogen data 
provided by the Food Safety Inspection Service (FSIS), to assess the 
extent of the adoption of pathogen-reducing technologies and methods, 
to develop indexes of pathogen-reducing technologies and methods that 
could be used to learn how technology and methods adoption progresses 
over time and how changes in technology levels affects plant-level 
pathogens, and to examine characteristics of plants that adopt 
particular classes of pathogen-reducing technologies and methods.

DATES: Comments on this notice must be received by September 10, 1999 
to be assured of consideration.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION OR COMMENTS: Contact Michael Ollinger, 
Economist, Diet, Safety, Health Economics Branch, Food and Rural 
Economics Division, Economic Research Service, U.S. Department of 
Agriculture, 1800 M Street NW Room N-3064, Washington, DC 20036-5831, 
202-694-5454.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
    Title: Pathogen Reduction and Innovation Under HACCP Regulation in 
Cattle, Hog, Chicken, and Turkey Slaughter and Processing Plants.
    Type of Request: Approval to collect data on the cost to industry 
of HACCP regulation and the use of pathogen-reducing technologies and 
methods.
    Abstract: ERS is responsible for economic research on the economics 
of pathogen control regulation and HACCP regulation in the meat and 
poultry industries. Recent estimates suggest that microbial pathogens 
cause 6.5-33 million cases of human illness and up to 9,000 deaths each 
year. These findings have made food safety a major White House policy 
priority and have led FSIS to implement HACCP regulation. FSIS 
estimates that this regulation will reduce foodborne illness by 90% and 
cost industry $1 billion over 20 years. However, some economists, 
policy-makers, and firms assert that producer costs will be much higher 
and disproportionately affect small firms. Moreover, they argue that 
the lost revenues and profits due to product recalls, reputation 
losses, and reduced product shelf-life give industry strong incentives 
to reduce pathogens and that industry's approach to pathogen-reduction 
is less costly than government regulation.
    Answers to questions of regulatory costs and incentives to use 
pathogen-reducing technologies and methods requires data. However, 
these data do not exist and there is no plan to obtain them. The 
objective of this proposal is to generate survey data that will 
illustrate both the costs of HACCP regulation and industry usage of 
pathogen-reducing technologies and methods. The data and subsequent 
analyses will be useful for policy-makers in making regulatory 
decisions and provide general information to the public about industry 
efforts to reduce pathogens.
    The data would be used by economists to assess the costs of HACCP 
regulation, to link the use of pathogen-reducing technologies and 
methods to plant pathogen data provided by the Food Safety Inspection 
Service (FSIS), to assess the extent of the adoption of pathogen-
reducing technologies and methods, to develop indexes of pathogen-
reducing technologies and methods that could be used to learn how 
technology and methods adoption progresses over time and how changes in 
technology levels affects plant-level pathogens, and to examine 
characteristics of plants that adopt particular classes of pathogen-
reducing technologies and methods.
    Estimates of Burden: Public reporting burden for this data 
collection is estimated to average 30 minutes.
    Respondents: Federally registered cattle, hog, chicken, and turkey 
slaughter and processing manufacturing plants.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 2,000.
    Estimated Total Burden on Respondents: 1,000 hours.
    Copies of Information: Copies of the information to be collected 
can be obtained from Michael Ollinger, Economist, Food and Rural 
Economics Division, Economic Research Service, U.S. Department of 
Agriculture, 1800 M Street NW, Room N-3064, Washington, DC 20036-5831, 
(202) 694-5454.
    Comments: Comments are invited on: (a) Whether the proposed 
collection of information is necessary for the proper performance of 
the functions of the agency, including whether the information will 
have practical utility; (b) the accuracy of the agency's estimate of 
the burden of the proposed collection of information, including the 
validity of the methodology and assumptions used; (c) ways to enhance 
the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be collected; 
and (d) ways to minimize the burden of collection of information on 
those who are to respond, including through the use of appropriate 
automated, electronic, mechanical, or other technological collection 
techniques or other forms of information technology. Comments may be 
sent to Michael Ollinger, Economist, Food and Rural Economics Division, 
Economic Research Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, 1800 M 
Street NW, Room N-3064, Washington, DC 20036-5831, (202) 694-5454. All 
responses to this notice will be summarized and included in the request 
for OMB approval. All comments will also become a matter of public 
record.


[[Page 37495]]


    Dated: June 14, 1999.
Betsy Kuhn,
Director, Food and Rural Economics Division.
[FR Doc. 99-17532 Filed 7-9-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-18-P