[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 248 (Tuesday, December 27, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Pages 95098-95099]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2016-31246]


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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 
 and investigations, committee meetings, agency decisions and rulings, 
 delegations of authority, filing of petitions and applications and agency 
 statements of organization and functions are examples of documents 
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  Federal Register / Vol. 81, No. 248 / Tuesday, December 27, 2016 / 
Notices  

[[Page 95098]]



DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Food Safety and Inspection Service

[Docket No. FSIS-2016-0038]


Notice of Request for Revision of an Approved Information 
Collection (Sanitation SOPs and Pathogen Reduction/HACCP)

AGENCY: Food Safety and Inspection Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice and request for comments.

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SUMMARY: In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 and 
Office of Management and Budget (OMB) regulations, the Food Safety and 
Inspection Service (FSIS) is announcing its intention to request a 
revision of the approved information collection regarding Sanitation 
Standard Operating Procedures (Sanitation SOPs), pathogen testing and 
Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) Systems requirements 
because the OMB approval will expire on April 30, 2017. FSIS has 
increased its total annual burden estimate by 781,956 hours as a result 
of new available data.

DATES: Comments on this notice must be received on or before February 
27, 2017.

ADDRESSES: 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 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. Follow the on-line instructions at that site for 
submitting comments.
     Mail, including floppy disks or CD-ROMs, and hand- or 
courier-delivered items: Send to Docket Clerk, U.S. Department of 
Agriculture, Food Safety and Inspection Service, Patriots Plaza 3, 1400 
Independence Avenue SW., Mailstop 3782, Room 8-163B, Washington, DC 
20250-3700.
     Hand- or courier-delivered submittals: Deliver to Patriots 
Plaza 3, 355 E Street SW., Room 8-164, Washington, DC 20250-3700.
    Instructions: All items submitted by mail or electronic mail must 
include the Agency name and docket number FSIS-2016-0038. 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 8:00 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., Monday 
through Friday.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Gina Kouba, Office of Policy and 
Program Development, Food Safety and Inspection Service, USDA, 1400 
Independence Avenue SW., Room 6065, South Building, Washington, DC 
20250; (202) 720-5627.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
    Title: Sanitation SOPs and Pathogen Reduction/HACCP Systems.
    OMB Number: 0583-0103.
    Expiration Date of Approval: 4/30/2017.
    Type of Request: Revision of an approved information collection.
    Abstract: FSIS has been delegated the authority to exercise the 
functions of the Secretary as specified in the Federal Meat Inspection 
Act (FMIA) (21 U.S.C. 601, et seq.) and the Poultry Products Inspection 
Act (PPIA) (21 U.S.C. 451, et seq.). These statutes provide that FSIS 
is to protect the public by verifying that meat and poultry products 
are safe, wholesome, not adulterated, and properly labeled and 
packaged.
    FSIS is requesting a revision of the approved information 
collection regarding Sanitation Standard Operating Procedures 
(Sanitation SOPs), pathogen testing and Hazard Analysis and Critical 
Control Point (HACCP) Systems requirements because the OMB approval 
will expire on April 30, 2017. FSIS has increased its total annual 
burden estimate by 781,956 hours as a result of new available data.
    FSIS has established requirements applicable to meat and poultry 
establishments designed to reduce the occurrence and numbers of 
pathogenic microorganisms on meat and poultry products, reduce the 
incidence of foodborne illness associated with the consumption of those 
products, and provide a framework for modernization of the meat and 
poultry inspection system. The regulations (1) require that each 
establishment develop, implement, and revise, as needed, written 
Sanitation SOPs (9 CFR part 416); (2) require regular microbial testing 
for generic E. coli by livestock establishments to verify the adequacy 
of the establishment's process controls for the prevention and removal 
of fecal contamination and associated bacteria (9 CFR 310.25(a); and 
(3) require that all meat and poultry establishments develop and 
implement a system of preventive controls designed to improve the 
safety of their products, known as HACCP (9 CFR part 417).
    Establishments may have programs that are prerequisite to HACCP 
that are designed to provide the basic environmental and operating 
conditions necessary for the production of safe, wholesome food. 
Because of its prerequisite programs an establishment may decide that a 
food safety hazard is not reasonably likely to occur in its operations. 
The establishment would need to document this determination in its 
Hazard Analysis and include the procedures it employs to ensure that 
the program is working and that the hazard is not likely to occur (9 
CFR 417.5 (a)(1)).
    FSIS has made the estimates below based upon an information 
collection assessment.
    Estimate of Burden: FSIS estimates that it will take respondents an 
average of 1,157 hours each year to comply with the information request 
associated with this collection.
    Respondents: Meat and poultry establishments.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 6,087.
    Estimated Number of Annual Responses per Respondent: 6,087.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden on Respondents: 7,045,303 hours.
    Copies of this information collection assessment can be obtained 
from Gina Kouba, Office of Policy and Program Development, Food Safety 
and Inspection Service, USDA, 1400 Independence SW., Room 6077, South 
Building, Washington, DC 20250, (202) 690-6510.

[[Page 95099]]

    Comments are invited on: (a) Whether the proposed collection of 
information is necessary for the proper performance of FSIS's 
functions, including whether the information will have practical 
utility; (b) the accuracy of FSIS's estimate of the burden of the 
proposed collection of information, including the validity of the 
methodology and assumptions used; (c) ways to enhance the quality, 
utility, and clarity of the information to be collected; and (d) ways 
to minimize the burden of the collection of information, including 
through the use of appropriate automated, electronic, mechanical, or 
other technological collection techniques, or other forms of 
information technology. Comments may be sent to both FSIS, at the 
addresses provided above, and the Desk Officer for Agriculture, Office 
of Information and Regulatory Affairs, Office of Management and Budget, 
Washington, DC 20253.
    Responses to this notice will be summarized and included in the 
request for OMB approval. All comments will also become a matter of 
public record.

Additional Public Notification

    Public awareness of all segments of rulemaking and policy 
development is important. Consequently, FSIS will announce this Federal 
Register publication on-line through the FSIS Web page located at: 
http://www.fsis.usda.gov/federal-register.
    FSIS also will make copies of this 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 available on the FSIS Web page. Through the 
Web page, FSIS is able to provide information to a much broader, more 
diverse audience. In addition, FSIS offers an email 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 recalls to export 
information, regulations, directives, and notices. Customers can add or 
delete subscriptions themselves, and have the option to password 
protect their accounts.

USDA Non-Discrimination Statement

    No agency, officer, or employee of the USDA shall, on the grounds 
of race, color, national origin, religion, sex, gender identity, sexual 
orientation, disability, age, marital status, family/parental status, 
income derived from a public assistance program, or political beliefs, 
exclude from participation in, deny the benefits of, or subject to 
discrimination any person in the United States under any program or 
activity conducted by the USDA.

How To File a Complaint of Discrimination

    To file a complaint of discrimination, complete the USDA Program 
Discrimination Complaint Form, which may be accessed online at http://www.ocio.usda.gov/sites/default/files/docs/2012/Complain_combined_6_8_12.pdf, or write a letter signed by you or your 
authorized representative.
    Send your completed complaint form or letter to USDA by mail, fax, 
or email:
    Mail: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Director, Office of 
Adjudication, 1400 Independence Avenue SW., Washington, DC 20250-9410, 
Fax: (202) 690-7442, Email: [email protected].
    Persons with disabilities who require alternative means for 
communication (Braille, large print, audiotape, etc.), should contact 
USDA's TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TDD).

    Done at Washington, DC, on December 21, 2016.
Alfred V. Almanza,
Acting Administrator.
[FR Doc. 2016-31246 Filed 12-23-16; 8:45 am]
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