[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 105 (Wednesday, May 31, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Page 34653]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-13527]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Food Safety and Inspection Service

[Docket No. 00-013N]


In-Distribution Inspection Activities and Initiatives; Public 
Meeting

AGENCY: Food Safety and Inspection Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) is announcing a 
public meeting on June 9, 2000, to discuss its strategy for addressing 
the safety of meat and poultry products during distribution and to 
provide an overview and update on the in-distribution (ID) Inspection 
Project. The broader implications of ID activities in the Agency's 
projected inspection system will also be discussed.

DATES: The meeting will be held on June 9, 2000, from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m.

ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held at the Washington Plaza Hotel in 
Washington, DC, 10 Thomas Circle NW. (at Massachusetts Avenue and 14th 
Street), Washington, DC 20005, (202) 842-1300.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: To register for the meeting, contact 
Ms. Ida Gambrell of the FSIS Planning Staff by telephone (202) 501-
7260, FAX (202) 501-7615, or e-mail: [email protected]. Attendees 
who require a sign language interpreter or other special accommodations 
should contact Ms. Gambrell at the above numbers by June 2, 2000. For 
technical information contact Ms. Mary Cutshall by telephone (202) 720-
3219, FAX (202) 690-0824, or e-mail: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: As part of the implementation of the 
Agency's Pathogen Reduction; Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point 
(HACCP) Systems final rule, published July 25, 1996 (61 FR 38806), the 
Agency is committed to developing strategies that address food safety 
hazards throughout the farm-to-table continuum.
    Under the Federal Meat Inspection Act (FMIA) and the Poultry 
Products Inspection Act (PPIA), FSIS has the authority and 
responsibility to regulate not only the slaughter and processing but 
also the transportation, storage, and other handling of meat and 
poultry products.
    FSIS compliance officers are charged with performing the tasks 
associated with ensuring the safety of meat and poultry products along 
the farm-to-table continuum (other than in-plant production). FSIS is 
now looking at alternative strategies for ensuring the safety of these 
products after they leave an inspected plant. One way of doing this is 
through the ID Inspection Project.
    The Agency has assigned 11 inspectors to the ID Inspection Project. 
The Agency is also working with the State of Minnesota to develop an 
alternative strategy for addressing food safety hazards and other 
problems presented by federally inspected product in distribution. 
Under this developing approach, the State will advise FSIS of 
adulterated or misbranded federally inspected product that State 
inspectors find at retail/distribution/warehouse centers in the course 
of their regular inspections.
    The purpose of the public meeting is to provide the public with 
information on the progress of these activities and on the Agency's 
tentative plans regarding future in-distribution activities.

Additional Public Notification

    Public awareness of all segments of rulemaking and policy 
development is important. Consequently, in an effort to better ensure 
that minorities, women, and persons with disabilities are aware of this 
notice, FSIS will announce it and provide copies of this Federal 
Register publication in the FSIS Constituent Update. FSIS provides a 
weekly FSIS Constituent Update, which is communicated via fax to over 
300 organizations and individuals. In addition, the update is available 
on-line through the FSIS web page located at http://www.fsis.usda.gov. 
The update is used to provide information regarding FSIS policies, 
procedures, regulations, Federal Register notices, FSIS public 
meetings, recalls, and any other types of information that could affect 
or would be of interest to our constituents/stakeholders. The 
constituent fax list consists of industry, trade, and farm groups, 
consumer interest groups, allied health professionals, scientific 
professionals, and other individuals that have requested to be 
included. Through these various channels, FSIS is able to provide 
information to a much broader, more diverse audience. For more 
information and to be added to the constituent fax list, fax your 
request to the Congressional and Public Affairs Office, at (202) 720-
5704.
    Transcripts of this meeting will be made available in the FSIS 
Docket Room.

    Done in Washington, DC, on May 24, 2000.
Thomas J. Billy,
Administrator.
[FR Doc. 00-13527 Filed 5-30-00; 8:45 am]
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