[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
Federal Register
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or proposed rules that are applicable to the public. Notices of hearings
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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]
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