[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 158 (Friday, August 14, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Pages 49619-49621]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-17827]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Food Safety and Inspection Service

[Docket No. FSIS-2020-0025]


Salmonella--State of the Science

AGENCY: Food Safety and Inspection Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notification of public meeting.

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SUMMARY: The Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) is hosting a 
virtual public meeting with participation from the Agricultural 
Research Service (ARS), the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), 
and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). FSIS will 
discuss the Agency's commitment to reducing Salmonella contamination 
associated with FSIS-regulated products and thus saving lives, by 
leading with science, building relationships, and influencing behavior 
change. Industry, interested individuals, organizations, and other 
stakeholders are invited to participate in the meeting and to comment 
on the data and science that drive FSIS Salmonella reduction efforts.

DATES: The virtual public meeting will be held on Tuesday, September 
22, 2020, from 9 a.m. to 3:15 p.m. EST. Submit comments on or before 
September 25, 2020.

ADDRESSES: The meeting is virtual and will be viewed via the web-ex 
link provided by email when you register for the meeting. Attendees 
must be pre-registered for the meeting. See the pre-registration 
instructions under ``Registration and Meeting Materials.''
    Comments on this notice may be submitted by one of the following 
methods:
    Federal eRulemaking Portal: This website provides commenters the 
ability to type short comments directly into the comment field on the 
web page or to 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 CD-ROMs, etc.: Send to Docket Clerk, U.S. 
Department of Agriculture, Food Safety and Inspection Service, 1400 
Independence Avenue SW, Mailstop 3758, Room 6065, Washington, DC 20250-
3700.
    Hand- or courier-delivered submittals: Deliver to 1400 Independence 
Avenue SW, Room 6065, Washington, DC 20250-3700.
    Instructions: All items submitted by mail or electronic mail must 
include the Agency name and docket number FSIS-2020-0025. 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, 
email [email protected] or call 202-692-4235 to schedule a time to 
visit the FSIS Docket Room at 1400 Independence Avenue SW, Room 6065, 
Washington, DC 20250-3700.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Email Congressional and Public Affairs 
at [email protected]. Attendees requiring a sign language interpreter or 
other special accommodations should notify Evelyn Arce by calling 202-
418-8903 or emailing [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    The daily work of implementing the Federal Meat Inspection Act 
(FMIA), Poultry Products Inspection Act (PPIA), and the Egg Products 
Inspection Act (EPIA) is carried out by FSIS inspectors in over 6,500 
establishments across the country. Although not always apparent to the 
public, there are many other components of the Agency that support the 
work of the field personnel in addressing foodborne pathogens. While 
the scope of FSIS authority to enforce FMIA, PPIA, and EPIA is centered 
on the meat, poultry, and egg products industries, the activities of 
the Agency drive change along the entire farm-to-fork continuum to 
protect our food supply. Food safety is a shared responsibility, and 
FSIS, in partnership with the greater food safety community ensures 
that safe and wholesome foods are on our dinner table and in our 
restaurants, schools, and institutions every day.
    FSIS aggressively targets all foodborne pathogens of importance 
within their regulatory authority, including Salmonella. As food safety 
challenges evolve, FSIS will use the latest science and data to 
modernize inspection systems, laboratory and sampling methods, and 
communications to protect public health and meet consumers' needs. FSIS 
is focused on improving the Agency's ability to predict, detect, and 
reduce pathogens while encouraging industry to adopt the latest 
technology and innovations to produce a safer product. At the same 
time, FSIS is working to ensure that

[[Page 49620]]

consumers are empowered with information on how to safely handle, cook, 
and store food.
    Salmonella is a leading cause of foodborne illness, and outbreaks 
of Salmonella illness have been linked to poultry, pork, and beef 
products. Using outbreak data through 2017, the Interagency Food Safety 
Analytics Collaboration estimates that approximately 38 percent of 
foodborne salmonellosis in the United States can be attributed to meat 
and poultry products.\1\ These data highlight that FSIS plays an 
important role in helping achieve national public health goals aimed at 
reducing foodborne illness caused by Salmonella. Although findings from 
a recent analysis of FSIS data show that there has been an overall 
reduction in the occurrence of Salmonella on meat and poultry products 
over the past 20 years,\2\ there is still more work to be done. The 
food safety community did not meet the 2020 national public health goal 
for reduction of Salmonella illnesses, and FSIS remains committed to 
working toward achieving the Healthy People \3\ target set for 2030.
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    \1\ Interagency Food Safety Analytics Collaboration. Foodborne 
illness source attribution estimates for 2017 for Salmonella, 
Escherichia coli O157, Listeria monocytogenes, and Campylobacter 
using multi-year outbreak surveillance data, United States. GA and 
DC: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, CDC, FDA, USDA-
FSIS. 2019.
    \2\ Williams et al. 2020. Changes in Salmonella Contamination in 
Meat and Poultry Since the Introduction of the Pathogen Reduction: 
Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point Rule. Accepted for 
Publication. Journal of Food Protection (early view) https://doi.org/10.4315/JFP-20-126.
    \3\ https://www.healthypeople.gov/2020/topics-objectives/topic/food-safety.
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Public Meeting

    FSIS is announcing that it will hold a virtual public meeting on 
September 22, 2020, to discuss issues related to the foodborne pathogen 
Salmonella. At this meeting, FSIS will present its Roadmap to Reducing 
Salmonella, which describes how FSIS advances programs and policies 
that are science-based, data-driven, and promote innovation to reduce 
Salmonella and other pathogens in meat, poultry, and egg products. The 
roadmap describes current FSIS programs and future activities to drive 
progress toward meeting the Healthy People 2030 public health goals. 
FSIS, with speakers from ARS, FDA, and CDC, will highlight some of 
these efforts and describe the science and data that supports them. An 
agenda will be published online before the public meeting. FSIS will 
finalize the agenda on or before the meeting dates and post it on the 
FSIS website at: http://www.fsis.usda.gov/meetings. Topics will 
include:
     Salmonella presence in FSIS regulated products;
     Modernization of inspection systems;
     The role of FSIS Laboratories and sampling methods to 
reduce Salmonella in FSIS regulated products;
     Salmonella performance standards;
     Consumer research and education; and
     Future scientific strategies for controlling Salmonella

Registration and Meeting Materials

    There is no fee to register for the public meeting, but pre-
registration is mandatory for participants attending. All attendees 
must register online at https://ems8.intellor.com/?p=831058&do=register&t=6, after which they will receive an email 
acknowledging their registration. Stakeholders who wish to speak at the 
meeting must notify FSIS during registration.

Public Comments and Participation in Meetings

Public Comments: Oral Comments

    Stakeholders will have an opportunity to provide oral comments 
during the public meeting. As mentioned above, stakeholders must notify 
FSIS during registration of their wish to speak at the meeting. 
Stakeholders who do not notify FSIS during registration of their wish 
to speak will not have the opportunity to comment on the day of the 
public meeting. Due to the anticipated high level of interest in the 
opportunity to make public comments and the limited time available to 
do so, FSIS will do its best to accommodate all persons who registered 
and requested to provide oral comments, and will limit all speakers to 
three minutes. FSIS encourages persons and groups who have similar 
interests to consolidate their information for presentation by a single 
representative.

Public Questions

    During the meeting, FSIS will host a roundtable discussion with 
subject matter experts. Questions for the roundtable discussion panel 
should be submitted in advance, to [email protected] by September 10, 2020.

Transcripts

    As soon as the meeting transcripts are available, they will be 
accessible on the FSIS website at: http://www.fsis.usda.gov/wps/portal/fsis/newsroom/meetings. The transcripts may also be viewed at the FSIS 
Docket Room at the addressed listed above.

Additional Public Notification

    Public awareness of all segments of rulemaking and policy 
development is important. Consequently, FSIS will announce this Federal 
Register publication online 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 Constituent Update is available on the FSIS web page. 
Through the web page, FSIS can 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

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(Braille, large print, audiotape, etc.), should contact USDA's TARGET 
Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TDD).

    Done at Washington, DC.
Theresa Nintemann,
Deputy Administrator.
[FR Doc. 2020-17827 Filed 8-13-20; 8:45 am]
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