[Federal Register Volume 69, Number 216 (Tuesday, November 9, 2004)]
[Notices]
[Pages 64902-64903]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 04-24882]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Food Safety and Inspection Service

[Docket No. 04-038N]


National Advisory Committee on Meat and Poultry Inspection

AGENCY: Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS), USDA.

ACTION: Notice of public meeting.

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SUMMARY: This notice announces that the National Advisory Committee on 
Meat and Poultry Inspection (NACMPI) will hold a public meeting on 
November 16-17, 2004, to review and discuss the following issues: (1) 
The Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) Technical Service Center 
(TSC): How is the TSC doing in fulfilling its mission to provide 
technical guidance to industry? How can it improve in providing such 
guidance? What has it done well? (2) How can FSIS efficiently share 
information through outreach and training of our constituent groups? 
FSIS is dedicated to effective and targeted outreach and training. How 
can the Agency improve its outreach to external groups, plants, states 
and constituents? and, (3) Developing a data depository to help FSIS 
anticipate food borne hazards: How can FSIS facilitate Agency 
acquisition of microbiological testing data from industry, academia and 
other constituent groups? Three subcommittees will also meet on 
November 16, 2004, to work on the issues discussed during the full 
committee session.

DATES: The full Committee will hold a public meeting on Tuesday, 
November 16 and Wednesday, November 17, 2004, from 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 
p.m. Subcommittees will hold open meetings on Tuesday, November 16, 
2004, from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m.

ADDRESSES: All Committee meetings will take place at the Hilton 
Alexandria Old Town Hotel, 1767 King Street, Alexandria, VA 22314. A 
meeting agenda is available on the Internet at http://www.fsis.usda.gov/OPPDE/NACMPI. FSIS welcomes comments on the topics to 
be discussed at the public meeting. Comments may be submitted by mail, 
including floppy disks or CD-ROM's, or by hand delivery to: Docket 
Clerk, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Food Safety and Inspection 
Service, 300 12th Street, SW., Room 102 Cotton

[[Page 64903]]

Annex, Washington, DC 20250. Comments may also be sent by facsimile to 
(202) 205-0381. All submissions received must include the Agency name 
and docket number 04-038N.
    All comments submitted in response to this notice, as well as 
research and background information used by FSIS in developing this 
document, will be available for public inspection in the FSIS Docket 
Room at the address listed above between 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., 
Monday through Friday. The comments also will be posted on the Agency's 
Web site at http://www.fsis.usda.gov/regulations/2004_Notices_Index/.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Robert Tynan for technical information 
at (202) 690-6520 or e-mail [email protected] and Sonya L. 
West for meeting information at (202) 690-1079, fax (202) 690-6519, or 
e-mail [email protected]. Persons requiring a sign language 
interpreter or other special accommodations should notify Ms. West no 
later than November 12, 2004, at the above numbers or by e-mail.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    On April 15, 2003, the Secretary of Agriculture renewed the charter 
for the NACMPI. The Committee provides advice and recommendations to 
the Secretary of Agriculture pertaining to the Federal and State meat 
and poultry inspection programs, pursuant to sections 7(c), 24, 205, 
301(a)(3), 301(a)(4), and 301(c) of the Federal Meat Inspection Act (21 
U.S.C. 607(c), 624, 645, 661(a)(3), 661(a)(4), and 661(c)) and sections 
5(a)(3), 5(a)(4), 5(c), 8(b), and 11(e) of the Poultry Products 
Inspection Act (21 U.S.C. 454(a)(3), 454(a)(4), 454(c), 457(b), and 
460(e)).
    The Administrator of FSIS is the chairperson of the Committee. 
Membership of the Committee is drawn from representatives of consumer 
groups, producers, processors and marketers from the meat and poultry 
industry, state government officials and academia. The current members 
of the NACMPI are: Ms. Deanna Baldwin, Maryland Department of 
Agriculture; Dr. Gladys Bayse, Spelman College; Dr. David Carpenter, 
Southern Illinois University; Dr. James Denton, University of Arkansas; 
Mr. Darin Detwiler, Lake Washington School District; Dr. Kevin 
Elfering, Minnesota Department of Agriculture; Ms. Sandra Eskin, 
American Association of Retired Persons; Mr. Michael Govro, Oregon 
Department of Agriculture; Dr. Joseph Harris, Southwest Meat 
Association; Dr. Jill Hollingsworth, Food Marketing Institute; Dr. 
Alice Johnson, National Turkey Federation; Mr. Michael Kowalcyk, Safe 
Tables Our Priority; Dr. Irene Leech, Virginia Citizens Consumer 
Council; Mr. Charles Link, Cargill Meat Solutions; Dr. Catherine Logue, 
North Dakota State University; and Mr. Mark Schad, Schad Meats.
    The Committee has three subcommittees to deliberate on specific 
issues and make recommendations to the Committee.
    All interested parties are welcome to attend the meetings and to 
submit written comments and suggestions concerning Committee issues. 
The comments and the official transcript of the meeting, when they 
become available, will be kept in the FSIS Docket Room at the address 
provided above. All comments received in response to this notice will 
be considered part of the public record and will be available for 
viewing in the FSIS Docket Room between 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., Monday 
through Friday.
    Members of the public will be required to register before entering 
the meeting.

Additional Public Notification

    Public awareness of all segments of rulemaking and policy 
development is important. Consequently, in an effort to ensure that the 
public and in particular minorities, women, and persons with 
disabilities, are aware of this notice, FSIS will announce it on-line 
through the FSIS Web page located at http://www.fsis.usda.gov.
    FSIS also will make copies of this Federal Register publication 
available through the FSIS Constituent Update, which 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 update is communicated via Listserv, 
a free e-mail subscription service consisting of industry, trade, farm 
and consumer interest groups, allied health professionals, scientific 
professionals, and other individuals who have requested to be included. 
The update also is available on the FSIS Web page. Through Listserv and 
the Web page, FSIS is able to provide information to a much broader, 
more diverse audience.

    Done in Washington, DC on November 3, 2004.
Richard Van Blargan,
Acting Administrator.
[FR Doc. 04-24882 Filed 11-8-04; 8:45 am]
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