[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 121 (Friday, June 23, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Pages 36055-36056]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E6-9949]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Food Safety and Inspection Service

[Docket No. FSIS 2006-0015]


Nominations for Membership on the National Advisory Committee on 
Microbiological Criteria for Foods

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

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: This notice announces that the U.S. Department of Agriculture 
(USDA) is soliciting nominations for membership on the National 
Advisory Committee on Microbiological Criteria for Foods (NACMCF). 
Nominations for membership are being sought from individuals with 
scientific expertise in the fields of epidemiology, food technology, 
microbiology (food, clinical, and predictive), risk assessment, 
infectious disease, biostatistics, and other related sciences. Persons 
from State and Federal governments, industry, consumer groups, and 
academia, as well as all other interested persons, are invited to 
submit nominations. Members who are not Federal government employees 
will be appointed to serve as non-compensated special government 
employees (SGEs). SGEs will be subject to appropriate conflict of 
interest statutes and standards of ethical conduct.
    The nominee's typed resume or curriculum vitae must be limited to 
five one-sided pages and should include educational background, 
expertise, and a select list of publications. For submissions received 
that are more than five one-sided pages in length, only the first five 
pages will be considered.

DATES: The nominee's typed resume or curriculum vitae must be received 
by July 24, 2006.

ADDRESSES: Nominations should be sent to Ms. Karen Thomas, Advisory 
Committee Specialist, USDA, Food Safety and Inspection Service, Room 
333 Aerospace Center, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW., Washington, DC 
20250-3700.
    FSIS invites interested persons to submit comments on this notice. 
Comments may be submitted by any of the following methods:
    Federal eRulemaking Portal: This Web site provides the ability to 
type short comments directly into the comment field on this Web page or 
attach a file for lengthier comments. Go to http://www.regulations.gov 
and, in the ``Search for Open Regulations'' box, select ``Food Safety 
and Inspection Service'' from the agency drop-down menu, then click on 
``Submit.'' In the Docket ID column, select the FDMS Docket Number 
FSIS-2006-0015 to submit or view public comments and to view supporting 
and related materials available electronically.
    Mail, including floppy disks or CD-ROM's, and hand- or courier-
delivered items: Send to Docket Clerk, USDA, FSIS, FSIS Docket Room, 
300 12th Street, SW., Room 102, Cotton Annex Building, Washington, DC 
20250.
    Electronic mail: [email protected].
    All submissions received must include the Agency name and docket 
number FSIS-2006-0015.
    All comments submitted in response to this notice, as well as 
research and background information used by FSIS in developing this 
document, will be posted to the regulations.gov Web site. The 
background information and comments also 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.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms. Karen Thomas, Advisory Committee 
Specialist, at the above address or by telephone at 202-690-6620 or by 
FAX at 202-690-6634.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    The NACMCF was established in March 1988, in response to a 
recommendation in a 1985 report of the National Academy of Sciences 
Committee on Food Protection, Subcommittee on Microbiological Criteria, 
``An Evaluation of the Role of Microbiological Criteria for Foods.'' 
The current charter for the NACMCF and other information about the 
Committee are available for viewing on the NACMCF homepage at http://www.fsis.usda.gov/About_FSIS/NACMCF/index.asp.
    The Committee provides scientific advice and recommendations to the 
Secretary of Agriculture and the Secretary of Health and Human Services 
concerning the development of microbiological criteria by which the 
safety and wholesomeness of food can be assessed. For example, the 
Committee assists in the development of criteria for microorganisms 
that indicate

[[Page 36056]]

whether food has been processed using good manufacturing practices.
    Appointments to the Committee will be made by the Secretary of 
Agriculture after consultation with the Secretary of Health and Human 
Services to ensure that recommendations made by the Committee take into 
account the needs of the diverse groups served by the Department. 
Membership shall include, to the extent practicable, individuals with 
demonstrated ability to represent minorities, women, and persons with 
disabilities.
    Given the complexity of issues, the full Committee expects to meet 
at least twice yearly, and the meetings will be announced in the 
Federal Register. The subcommittees will meet as deemed necessary by 
the chairperson and will be held as working group meetings in an open 
public forum. The subcommittee meetings will not be announced in the 
Federal Register. FSIS will announce the agenda and subcommittee 
working group meetings through the Constituent Update, available on-
line at http://www.fsis.usda.gov/News_&_Events/2006_Constituent_Update/index.asp. NACMCF holds subcommittee working group meetings in 
order to accomplish the work of the NACMCF; all work accomplished by 
the subcommittees is reviewed and approved by the full Committee during 
a public meeting of the full Committee, as announced in the Federal 
Register. The subcommittee may invite technical experts to present 
information for consideration by the subcommittee. All data and records 
available to the full Committee are expected to be available to the 
public at the time the full Committee reviews and approves the work of 
the subcommittee.
    Appointment to the Advisory Committee is for a two-year term, 
renewable for a total of three consecutive terms. Members are required 
to attend all meetings in-person as this is necessary for the 
functioning of this advisory committee. Members must be prepared to 
work outside of scheduled Committee and subcommittee meetings, and may 
be required to assist in document preparation. Committee members serve 
on a voluntary basis; however, travel reimbursement and per diem are 
available.

Regarding Nominees Who Are Selected

    All nominees who are selected must submit a USDA Advisory Committee 
Membership Background Information form AD-755, available on-line at: 
http://www.fsis.usda.gov/FSISForms/AD-755.pdf.
    As new appointees, SGEs must complete the Office of Government 
Ethics (OGE) 450 Confidential Financial Disclosure Report, before 
rendering any advice, or prior to their first meeting. All members will 
be reviewed for conflict of interest pursuant to 18 U.S.C. 208 in 
relation to specific NACMCF work charges. Financial disclosure updates 
will be required annually. Members must report any changes in financial 
holdings requiring additional disclosure. OGE 450 forms are available 
on-line at: http://www.usoge.gov/pages/forms_pubs_otherdocs/fpo_files/forms/fr450fill_04.pdf.

Additional Public Notification

    Public awareness of all segments of rulemaking and policy 
development is important. Consequently, in an effort to ensure that 
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/2006_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 constituents 
and stakeholders. The update is communicated via Listserv, a free 
electronic mail subscription service for industry, trade and farm 
groups, consumer interest groups, allied health professionals and other 
individuals who have asked to be included. The update is available on 
the FSIS Web page. Through the Listserv and Web page, FSIS is able to 
provide information to a much broader and more diverse audience. In 
addition, FSIS offers an e-mail subscription service which provides 
automatic and customized access to selected food safety news and 
information. This service is available at http://www.fsis.usda.gov/news_and_events/email_subscription/. 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 account.

    Done at Washington, DC, on: June 20, 2006.
Barbara J. Masters,
Administrator.
 [FR Doc. E6-9949 Filed 6-22-06; 8:45 am]
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