[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 130 (Tuesday, July 8, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Pages 38486-38488]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-15906]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Food Safety Inspection Service

[Docket No. FSIS-2014-0017]


National Advisory Committee on Microbiological Criteria for Foods

AGENCY: Food Safety and Inspection Service.

ACTION: Notice Soliciting Nominations for Membership on the National 
Advisory Committee on Microbiological Criteria for Foods.

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SUMMARY: The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is soliciting 
nominations for membership on the National Advisory Committee on 
Microbiological Criteria for Foods (NACMCF). There are 7 vacancies. 
Advisory Committee members serve a two-year term, renewable for two 
consecutive terms.
    USDA is seeking NACMCF members with scientific expertise in the 
fields of epidemiology, food technology, microbiology (food, clinical, 
and predictive), toxicology, risk assessment, infectious disease, 
biostatistics, and other related sciences. USDA is seeking nominations 
for NACMCF from persons in academia, industry, State governments, and 
the Federal Government, as well as all other interested persons with 
the required experience. Please note that federally registered 
lobbyists cannot be considered for USDA advisory committee membership.
    USDA is also seeking nominations for one individual affiliated with 
a consumer group to serve on the NACMCF. This member will serve as a 
representative member to provide a consumer viewpoint. This member will 
not be required to have a scientific background and will not be subject 
to conflict of interest review.
    Members can serve on only one USDA advisory committee at a time. 
All nominees will undergo a USDA background check.
    With the exception of the consumer representative member, any 
member who is not a Federal government employee will be appointed to 
serve as a non-compensated special government employee (SGE). SGEs will 
be subject to appropriate conflict of interest statutes and standards 
of ethical conduct.

[[Page 38487]]

    Nominations for membership on the NACMCF must be addressed to the 
Secretary of USDA and accompanied by a cover letter announcing the 
nomination, a resume or curriculum vitae, and a completed USDA Advisory 
Committee Membership Background Information form AD-755 available 
online at: http://www.ocio.usda.gov/forms/doc/AD-755.pdf. A nomination 
may be a self-nomination or a nomination on behalf of someone else. The 
resume or curriculum vitae must be limited to five one-sided pages and 
should include educational background, expertise, and a list of select 
publications, if available. For submissions received that are more than 
five one-sided pages in length, only the first five pages will be 
reviewed.

DATES: All materials must be received by August 7, 2014.

ADDRESSES: Nomination packages can be sent by mail to: Tom Vilsack, 
Secretary, U.S. Department of Agriculture, 1400 Independence Avenue 
SW., Washington, DC 20250, Attn: National Advisory Committee on 
Microbiological Criteria for Foods.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms. Karen Thomas-Sharp, Advisory 
Committee Specialist, by telephone at 202-690-6620 or by email 
[email protected].
    The Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) invites interested 
persons to submit comments on this notice. Comments may be submitted by 
either of the following methods: Federal eRulemaking Portal: This Web 
site (http://www.regulations.gov) provides the ability to type short 
comments directly into the comment field on this Web page or attach a 
file for lengthier comments. Follow the online instructions at that 
site for submitting comments. Mail, including CD-ROMS and hand or 
courier delivered items: Send to Docket Clerk, USDA, FSIS Docket Room, 
Patriots Plaza 3, 355 E Street SW., Room 8-163A, Washington, DC 20250-
3700 between 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday.
    Instructions: All items submitted by mail or electronic mail must 
include the Agency name and docket number FSIS-2014-0017. Comments 
received in response to this docket will be made available for public 
inspection and posted without change, including any personal 
information, to http://www.regulations.gov.
    Docket: For access to background documents or comments received, go 
to the FSIS Docket Room at Patriots Plaza 3, 355 E. Street SW., Room 8-
164, Washington, DC 20250-3700 between 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., Monday 
through Friday. All comments submitted in response to this notice, as 
well as 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.

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 to the public for viewing on the FSIS Web site 
at: http://www.fsis.usda.gov/wps/portal/fsis/topics/data-collection-and-reports/nacmcf.
    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 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.
    Given the complexity of issues, the full Committee expects to meet 
at least once a year by teleconference or in-person, and the meetings 
will be announced in the Federal Register. The subcommittees will meet 
as deemed necessary by the chairperson through working group meetings 
in an open public forum. Subcommittees also may meet through 
teleconference or by computer-based conferencing (Webinars). 
Subcommittees may invite technical experts to present information for 
consideration by the subcommittee. 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 online at http://www.fsis.usda.gov/wps/portal/fsis/newsroom/meetings/newsletters/constituent-updates.
    NACMCF holds subcommittee meetings in order to accomplish the work 
of NACMCF; all subcommittee work is reviewed and approved during a 
public meeting of the full Committee, as announced in the Federal 
Register. All data and records available to the full Committee are 
expected to be available to the public when the full Committee reviews 
and approves the work of the subcommittee.
    Advisory Committee members are expected to attend all in-person 
meetings during the two-year term for the smooth functioning of this 
advisory committee. However, on rare occasions attendance through 
teleconferencing may be necessary.
    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 expenses and per diem reimbursement are available.

Regarding Nominees Who Are Selected

    All SGE and Federal government employee nominees who are selected 
must complete the Office of Government Ethics (OGE) 450 Confidential 
Financial Disclosure Report before rendering any advice or prior to 
their first meeting. With the exception of the consumer representative 
committee member, all committee members will be reviewed pursuant to 18 
U.S.C. 208 for conflicts of interest relating to specific NACMCF work 
charges, and financial disclosure updates will be required annually. 
Members subject to financial disclosure must report any changes in 
financial holdings requiring additional disclosure. OGE 450 forms are 
available on-line at: http://www.oge.gov/Financial-Disclosure/Confidential-Financial-Disclosure-450/OGE-Form-450/.

Additional Public Notification

    FSIS will announce this notice online through the FSIS Web page 
located at http://www.fsis.usda.gov/federal-register.
    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,

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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/subscribe. Options range from 
recall notices, 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 July 2, 2014.
Alfred V. Almanza,
Administrator.
[FR Doc. 2014-15906 Filed 7-7-14; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-DM-P