[Federal Register Volume 70, Number 72 (Friday, April 15, 2005)]
[Notices]
[Pages 19920-19921]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 05-7494]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Food Safety and Inspection Service

[Docket No. 05-015N]


Food Security Workshops

AGENCY: Food Safety and Inspection Service.

ACTION: Notice.

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[[Page 19921]]

SUMMARY: The Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) is announcing a 
series of workshops from May through June 2005, to discuss food 
security awareness, the FSIS Industry Self-Assessment Checklist for 
Food Security, food security plans, and FSIS Directive 5420.1, Revision 
1, Food Security Verification Procedures.

DATES: Further information on these workshops will be announced on the 
FSIS Web site, http://www.fsis.usda.gov/. and through the Constituent 
Update; see Additional Public Notification below.
    The tentative upcoming workshops are:

Dallas, Texas on May 14;
Oakland, California on May 21;
Chicago, Illinois on June 4;
Savannah, Georgia on June 11;
Newark, New Jersey on June 25;
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on July 9.

ADDRESSES: Information on specific sites will be provided through the 
FSIS Web site and Constituent Update. FSIS highly recommends that 
attendees pre-register for the workshops. To pre-register for this 
workshop, call 1-800-485-4424 and follow the prompts. You may also pre-
register at http://www.fsis.usda.gov/News/Meetings_&_Events/
    A tentative agenda will be available in the FSIS Docket Room and on 
the Internet at http://www.fsis.usda.gov. For Further Information 
Contact: Ms. Diane Jones of the FSIS Strategic Initiatives, 
Partnerships and Outreach Staff at (202) 720-9692. If a sign language 
interpreter or other special accommodation is required, please contact 
Ms. Jones no later than one week before the workshop of interest.
    For technical information, please contact Ms. Mary Cutshall, 
Director, Strategic Initiatives, Partnerships and Outreach Staff, 
Office of Public Affairs, Education and Outreach at (202) 690-6520.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Background

    In May 2002, the Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) issued 
the FSIS Security Guidelines for Food Processors to assist meat, 
poultry, and egg product establishments in identifying ways to 
strengthen their food security protection. In August 2003, the FSIS 
Safety and Security Guidelines for the Transportation and Distribution 
of Meat, Poultry, and Egg Products were issued. These guidelines 
focused on enhancing food safety and security in the transportation and 
distribution segments of the supply chain. These guidelines are 
voluntary and provide recommendations about the types of security 
measures that may be used to prevent contamination of meat, poultry, 
and egg products during processing, transportation, and storage. A 
particularly important aspect of the guidelines is the suggestion that 
each facility should develop and implement a Food Security Plan. The 
purpose of the workshops is to provide additional guidance about the 
development and implementation of food security plans for meat, 
poultry, and egg processing facilities, import establishments, and 
identification warehouses. The Food Security Checklist, Food Security 
Models, and FSIS Directive 5420.1, Revision 1 are tools to aid affected 
entities in developing the security plans.

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/regulations/2005_Notices_Index/.
    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, and 
farm groups, 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, and more diverse audience.
    In addition, FSIS offers an electronic mail subscription service 
that provides an automatic and customized notification when popular 
pages are updated, including Federal Register publications and related 
documents. This service is available at http://www.fsis.usda.gov/news_and_events/email_subscription/ and allows FSIS customers to sign up 
for subscription options in eight categories. Options range from 
recalls to export information to regulations, directives and notices. 
Customers can add or delete subscriptions themselves and have the 
option to password protect their accounts.

    Done at Washington, DC on April 11, 2005.
Barbara J. Masters,
Acting Administrator.
[FR Doc. 05-7494 Filed 4-14-05; 8:45 am]
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