[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 244 (Wednesday, December 19, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Pages 75118-75119]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-30530]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Food Safety and Inspection Service

[Docket No. FSIS-2012-0051]


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: Pursuant to the Federal Advisory Committee Act, the Food 
Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) is announcing a meeting of the 
National Advisory Committee on Meat and Poultry Inspection (NACMPI). 
The Committee is being convened to review two topics for FSIS. The 
first is strengthening Agency verification activities and guidance 
concerning sanitary dressing and antimicrobial interventions at veal 
slaughter operations. FSIS test results show that the percent positive 
for Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) from trimmings and 
ground beef produced from veal are higher than trimmings and ground 
beef produced from other cattle slaughter classes. FSIS is seeking 
feedback from NACMPI on improvements FSIS can make to its verification 
activities related to sanitary dressing and interventions at veal 
slaughter establishments and improvements it can make to its compliance 
guidance to address veal slaughter operations.
    FSIS is also seeking feedback from NACMPI on the ideal outreach 
strategy for communicating with the veal industry.
    The second topic is a review of criteria for categorizing FSIS 
regulations as public health regulations. FSIS has revised its criteria 
for identifying regulations that are most closely related to public 
health outcomes. FSIS is seeking input from NACMPI on the criteria and 
feedback on the proposed approach.

DATES: The meeting is scheduled for January 16-17, 2013 from 9:00 a.m. 
to 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time. The committee will meet from 8:00 a.m. to 
9:00 a.m. on January 16 for administrative purposes; this portion of 
the meeting is not open to the public.

ADDRESSES: The meetings will be held in the Auditorium at the Patriot 
Plaza III building, 355 E. Street SW., Washington, DC 20024. The 
auditorium is located on the first floor. Please note that due to 
increased security measures at the Patriot Plaza III, all persons 
wishing to attend are strongly encouraged to RSVP in advance.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: General information about the 
committee can also be found at http://www.fsis.usda.gov/About_FSIS/NACMPI/index.asp. Sally Fernandez, Program Specialist, Designated 
Federal Officer, at [email protected] or 202-690-6524 
(Phone), or (202) 690-6519 (Fax), may be contacted for specific 
questions about the committee or this meeting.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Background

    The purpose of the Committee is to provide advice to the Secretary 
of Agriculture concerning State and Federal programs with respect to 
meat, poultry, and processed egg products, inspection, safety, and 
other matters that fall within the scope of the Federal Meat Inspection 
Act and the Poultry Products Inspection Act. 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: Patricia K. Buck, Center for Foodborne Illness Research 
and Prevention; Dr. Fur-Chi Chen, Tennessee State University; Nancy J. 
Donley, STOP Foodborne Illness; Veneranda Gapud, Fieldale Farms 
Corporation; Sherika Harvey, Mississippi Department of Agriculture and 
Commerce; Dr. Heidi Kassenborg, Minnesota Department of Agriculture; 
Sarah A. Klein, Center for Science in the Public Interest; Dr. Carol L. 
Lorenzen, Missouri State University; Dr. John A. Marcy, University of 
Arkansas; Robert G. Reinhard, Sara Lee Corporation; Dr. Michael L. 
Rybolt, Hillshire Farms; Dr. Craig E. Shultz, Pennsylvania Department 
of Agriculture; Dr. John D. Tilden, Michigan Department of Agriculture 
and Rural Development; Steve E. Warshawer, Mesa Top Farm; Dr. J. Byron 
Williams, Mississippi State University; Christopher A. Waldrop, 
Consumer Federation of America; and Leonard W. Winchester, Public 
Health--Seattle & King County.
    Register for the Meeting: The public is asked to pre-register for 
the meeting. Your pre-registration must state: The names of each person 
in your group; organization or interest represented; the number of 
people planning to give oral comments, if any; and whether anyone in 
your group requires special accommodations. Submit registrations to (we 
have to get a mailbox address). FSIS will also accept walk-in 
registrations. Members of the public requesting to give oral comment to 
the Committee must sign in at the registration desk.
    Public Comments: Written public comments may be mailed to USDA/
FSIS, 1400 Independence Avenue SW., Mail Stop 3778, Washington, DC 
20250 or submitted via fax (202) 690-6519 or by email 
[email protected]. All written comments must arrive by January 12, 
2013. Oral comments are also accepted. To request to give oral 
comments, see instructions under `Register for the Meeting' above.
    Availability of Materials for the Meeting: All written public 
comments will be compiled into a binder and available for review at the 
meeting. Duplicate comments from multiple individuals will appear as 
one comment, with a notation that multiple

[[Page 75119]]

copies of the comment were received. Please visit http://www.fsis.usda.gov/About_FSIS/NACMPI/index.asp to learn more about the 
agenda for or reports resulting from this meeting.
    Meeting Accommodations: USDA is committed to ensuring that all 
interested persons are included in our events. If you are a person with 
a disability and request reasonable accommodations to participate in 
this meeting, please contact Sally Fernandez, Phone (202) 690-6524, Fax 
(202) 690-6519 or email [email protected]. All reasonable 
accommodation requests are managed on a case-by-case basis.

Additional Public Notification

    FSIS will announce this notice online through the FSIS Web page 
located at http://www.fsis.usda.gov/regulations_&_policies/Federal_Register_Notices/index.asp.
    FSIS will also 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 constituents and 
stakeholders. The Update is communicated via Listserv, a free 
electronic mail subscription service for industry, trade groups, 
consumer interest groups, health professionals, and other individuals 
who have asked to be included. The Update is also available on the FSIS 
Web page. In addition, FSIS offers an electronic 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_&_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.

USDA Nondiscrimination Statement

    USDA prohibits discrimination in all its programs and activities on 
the basis of race, color, national origin, gender, religion, age, 
disability, political beliefs, sexual orientation, and marital or 
family status. (Not all prohibited bases apply to all programs.) 
Persons with disabilities who require alternative means for 
communication of program information (Braille, large print, or 
audiotape.) should contact USDA's Target Center at 202-720-2600 (voice 
and TTY).
    To file a written complaint of discrimination, write USDA, Office 
of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights, 1400 Independence Avenue 
SW., Washington, DC 20250-9410 or call 202-720-5964 (voice and TTY). 
USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer.

    Done at Washington, DC, on December 13, 2012.
Alfred V. Almanza,
Administrator.
[FR Doc. 2012-30530 Filed 12-18-12; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-DM-P