[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 77 (Monday, April 22, 2002)]
[Notices]
[Pages 19542-19543]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-9690]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Food Safety and Inspection Service

[Docket No. 02-006N]


Pathogen Reduction: A Scientific Dialogue

AGENCY: Food Safety and Inspection Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice of public meeting; request for comments.

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SUMMARY: The Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) is announcing 
that it will hold a two-day symposium to discuss scientific data and 
issues associated with pathogen reduction and HACCP. The purpose of the 
meeting is to stimulate thinking and generate new ideas towards 
enhancement of the Agency's farm-to-table approach for ensuring the 
safety of meat, poultry, and egg products.
    The symposium will focus on analysis and discussion of microbial 
testing, anti-microbial interventions, performance standards, and other 
pathogen-reduction inspection activities. Panels chaired by members of 
the academic scientific community will address questions such as how 
pathogens enter the food chain, options for constructing statistically 
sound performance sampling strategies, new trends in microbiology and 
microbial ecology, and new technologies to remove or inactivate 
pathogens on carcasses. This symposium is one of a series of meetings 
being held to discuss new approaches for increasing food safety in an 
HACCP environment.

DATES: The symposium is scheduled for May 6 and 7, 2002. It will be 
held from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on both days. A tentative agenda is 
available in the FSIS Docket Room and on the FSIS Web site at http://fsis.usda.gov.

ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held at the Georgetown University 
Conference Center, 3800 Reservoir Rd., NW., Washington, DC 20057; 
telephone (202) 687-3200. FSIS welcomes comments on the topics to be 
discussed at the symposium. Please send an original and two copies of 
comments to the FSIS Docket Clerk, Docket #02-006N, 102 Cotton Annex, 
300 12th Street, SW., Washington, DC 20250-3700. All comments and the 
official transcript, when it is published, will be available in the 
FSIS Docket Room at the above address.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dr. Karen Hulebak, Senior Advisor for 
Scientific Affairs, FSIS, at (202) 720-8609 or by fax at (202) 720-
9893. FSIS encourages attendees to pre-register as soon as possible by 
contacting Ms. Sheila Johnson of the FSIS Planning Staff at (202) 690-
6498 or by e-mail to [email protected]. If a sign language 
interpreter or other special accommodation is necessary, contact Ms. 
Johnson at the above numbers.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    FSIS administers the Federal Meat Inspection Act, the Poultry 
Products Inspection Act, and the Egg Products Inspection Act. The 
Agency's activities are intended to prevent the distribution in 
domestic and foreign commerce of food that is unwholesome, adulterated, 
or misbranded, including products that may transmit diseases or that 
may be otherwise injurious to health.
    In recent years, the Agency has placed increased emphasis on its 
public health protection role. Throughout the 1990's, the Agency's most 
important goal was an improved food safety inspection system, 
exemplified by the HACCP regulations, which are now fully implemented. 
FSIS has sought to enhance the public health by minimizing foodborne 
illness from meat, poultry, and egg products. The Agency has worked 
toward this goal by encouraging industry to adopt measures intended to 
reduce pathogens on raw products. In addition to regulatory activities 
aimed at achieving this goal, the Agency has sought to strengthen its 
relationships with the scientific community and with State and Federal 
public health agencies, to make food safety information and training 
available to people at each point in the food production and marketing 
chain, and to promote international cooperation in food safety.
    The Agency's Strategic Plan for 2000-2005 provides that FSIS will 
continue to focus its operations and resources on food safety and will 
continue to strengthen the scientific basis for its regulatory 
activities and initiatives.

The Symposium

    At the public meeting, university scientists will chair panels and 
facilitate dialogue among the panelists from government and academia in 
discussions about HACCP and pathogen reduction activities. The meeting 
will focus on questions concerning the entry of pathogens into the meat 
and poultry food chain and the challenges that the microbial ecology of 
meat and poultry pathogens present for pathogen control. Additional 
discussion will focus on intervention strategies such as carcass 
decontamination and process control methods, performance standards, and 
microbial testing.

Additional Public Notification

    FSIS has considered the potential civil rights impact of this 
public meeting notice on minorities, women, and persons with 
disabilities. FSIS anticipates that this notice will not have a 
negative or disproportionate impact on minorities, women, or persons 
with

[[Page 19543]]

disabilities. However, Federal Register notices are designed to provide 
information and receive public comment on issues that may lead to new 
or revised Agency regulations or instructions. Public involvement in 
all segments of rulemaking and policy development is important. 
Consequently, women and persons with disabilities are aware of this 
notice and informed about the mechanism for providing their comment.
    FSIS provides a weekly Constituent Update, which is communicated 
via fax to more than 300 persons and organizations. 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 other types of information that could 
affect or would be of interest to our constituents and stakeholders. 
The constituent fax list consists of industry, trade, and farm groups; 
allied health professionals; scientific professionals, and other 
individuals who 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.

    Done in Washington, DC, on: April 11, 2002.
Margaret O'K. Glavin,
Acting Administrator.
[FR Doc. 02-9690 Filed 4-19-02; 8:45 am]
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