[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 17 (Friday, January 25, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Pages 4516-4517]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 08-292]


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 Notices
                                                 Federal Register
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 This section of the FEDERAL REGISTER contains documents other than rules 
 or proposed rules that are applicable to the public. Notices of hearings 
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  Federal Register / Vol. 73, No. 17 / Friday, January 25, 2008 / 
Notices  

[[Page 4516]]



DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Food Safety and Inspection Service

[Docket No. FSIS-2008-0003]


National Advisory Committee on Meat and Poultry Inspection

AGENCY: Food Safety and Inspection Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice of public meeting.

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SUMMARY: The Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) is announcing, 
pursuant to the Federal Advisory Committee Act, 5 U.S.C. App. 2, that 
the National Advisory Committee on Meat and Poultry Inspection (NACMPI) 
will hold a public meeting on February 5-6, 2008, to review and 
discuss: (1) The planned public health-based slaughter inspection 
system for young chickens and (2) how a similar approach could be used 
for inspection in processing and other slaughter establishments. Both 
issues will be presented to the full Committee. The Committee will then 
divide into two subcommittees to discuss both issues. Each subcommittee 
will provide a report of their comments and recommendations to the full 
committee before the meeting concludes on February 6, 2008.

DATES: The Committee will hold a public meeting on Wednesday, February 
5, and Thursday, February 6, 2008, from 8:15 a.m. to 5:45 p.m. The 
subcommittees will hold open meetings during their deliberations and 
report preparation.

ADDRESSES: The meetings will take place at the Key Bridge Marriott, 
1401 Lee Highway, Arlington, VA 22209; telephone, (703) 524-6400. The 
meeting agenda is available on the Internet at the NACMPI Web site, 
http://www.fsis.usda.gov/about_fsis/nacmpi/index.asp.
    The NACMPI meeting agenda, together with information and resource 
materials on public health-based inspection, is also available on the 
Internet at, http://www.fsis.usda.gov/regulations_&_policies/Public_Health_Based_Inspection/index.asp.
    FSIS welcomes comments on the topics discussed at the NACMPI public 
meeting. Comments may be submitted by any of the following methods:
    Electronic mail: [email protected].
    Mail, including floppy disks or CD-ROMs: Send to National Advisory 
Committee on Meat and Poultry Inspection, United States Department of 
Agriculture, Food Safety and Inspection Service, 14th & Independence 
Avenue, SW., Room 1180--South Building, Washington, DC 20250.
    Hand- or courier-delivered items: Deliver to Faye Smith at 14th & 
Independence Avenue, SW., Room 1180-S, Washington, DC. To deliver these 
items, the building security guard must first call (202) 720-9113.
    Facsimile: Send to Faye Smith, (202) 720-5704. All submissions 
received must include the Agency name and docket number FSIS-2008-0003.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION: Contact Robert Tynan for technical information 
at (202) 720-3884, or e-mail [email protected], and Faye Smith 
for meeting information at (202) 720-9113, Fax (202) 720-5704, or e-
mail [email protected]. Persons requiring a sign language 
interpreter or other special accommodations should notify Faye Smith at 
the numbers above or by e-mail.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    The NACMPI 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, poultry and 
egg product industries; State and local government officials; and 
academia. The current members of the NACMPI are: Ms. Kibbe M. Conti, 
Northern Plains Nutrition Consulting, Rapid City, SD; Mr. Brian R. 
Covington, Keystone Foods LLC, West Conshohocken, PA; Dr. Catherine N. 
Cutter, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA; Dr. James 
S. Dickson, Iowa State University, Ames, IA; Mr. Kevin M. Elfering, 
Minnesota Department of Agriculture, St. Paul, MN; Mr. Mike W. 
Finnegan, Montana Meat & Poultry Inspection Bureau, Helena, MT; Ms. 
Carol Tucker Foreman, Consumer Federation of America, Chevy Chase, MD; 
Dr. Andrea L. Grondahl, North Dakota Department of Agriculture, 
Bismarck, ND; Dr. Joseph J. Harris, Southwest Meat Association, Bryan, 
TX; Dr. Craig W. Henry, Food Products Association, Washington, DC; Ms. 
Cheryl D. Jones, Morehouse School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA; Mr. Michael 
E. Kowalcyk, DunnhumbyUSA LLC, Cincinnati, OH; Dr. Shelton E. Murinda, 
California State Polytechnic University, Pomona, CA; Dr. Edna Negron-
Bravo, University of Puerto Rico, Mayaguez, PR; Dr. Michael L. Rybolt, 
National Turkey Federation, Washington, DC; Mr. Mark P. Schad, Schad 
Meats, Inc., Cincinnati, OH; and Dr. Stanley A. Stromberg, Oklahoma 
Department of Agriculture, Food, and Forestry, Oklahoma City, OK.
    The Committee will review a draft report outlining a public health-
based slaughter inspection system for young chickens. The components of 
the planned system are science-based. The focus of the inspection 
activities in this system are the points within the poultry slaughter 
process that have the greatest risk for causing microbial or other 
contamination on young chicken carcasses or otherwise rendering the 
carcasses adulterated. These focused activities will be performed 
within the regulatory framework of current FSIS inspection activities 
regarding verification of Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point 
systems, Sanitation SOPs, sanitation performance standards, and other 
regulatory requirements. In addition, FSIS will utilize its inspection 
resources, including performing Food Safety Assessments on poultry 
slaughter establishments, as a means of assessing the design of an 
establishment's inspection system and whether it is under control and 
functions effectively.

[[Page 4517]]

FSIS is considering proposing to require that young chicken slaughter 
establishments that participate in this inspection system meet public 
health-based performance standards for microorganisms, such as 
Salmonella and Campylobacter. FSIS is also considering to propose that 
participating young chicken slaughter establishments meet a performance 
standard for generic E. coli. FSIS is considering this standard as a 
measure of sanitary conditions.
    FSIS' traditional method of inspection for young chicken slaughter 
establishments was designed before microbial contamination was 
recognized as a leading cause of foodborne human illness. FSIS would 
like to update the inspection system for young chicken slaughter 
establishments so that it will function effectively with the 
significant advances that have been made in the processing methods 
employed by many of these establishments. FSIS believes that the 
inspection system that it is considering will be better able to protect 
public health because it will be better adapted to the methods being 
used in slaughter plants. FSIS activities will likely focus on 
establishments and points within the poultry slaughter process at which 
microbial contamination of young chicken carcasses is likely to occur. 
Similarly, FSIS believes that the performance standards it is 
considering will decrease the amount of microbial contamination 
occurring at the end of the poultry slaughter process.
    An approach to inspection that focuses on points within an 
establishment that present the greatest likelihood of causing microbial 
and other contamination, and on those establishments with evidence of a 
loss of process control, could also be applied to processing 
establishments and to other slaughter establishments in addition to 
those that slaughter young chickens. The Committee will also review a 
draft report outlining how a public-health based inspection system 
could be applied to those establishments and the scientific basis for 
such a system.
    All interested parties are welcome to attend the meetings and to 
submit written comments and suggestions concerning issues the Committee 
will review and discuss. The comments and the official transcript of 
the meeting, when they become available, will be kept in the FSIS 
Docket Room, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Food Safety and Inspection 
Service, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW., Room 2534, South Building, 
Washington, DC 20250, and posted on the Agency's NACMPI Web site, 
http://www.fsis.usda.gov/about_fsis/nacmpi/index.asp.
    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/regulations/2007_Notices_Index/index.asp. 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, 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, 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 accounts.

    Done at Washington, DC, on January 22, 2008.
Alfred V. Almanza,
Administrator.
[FR Doc. 08-292 Filed 1-22-08; 11:39 am]
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