[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 245 (Monday, December 21, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Pages 83029-83030]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-28082]



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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Food Safety and Inspection Service

[Docket No. FSIS-2020-0030]


Availability of FSIS Guideline To Assist With the Donation of 
Eligible Meat & Poultry Products to Non-Profit Organizations

AGENCY: Food Safety and Inspection Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice of availability and request for comments.

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SUMMARY: The Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) is announcing 
the availability of and requesting comment on a guideline for meat and 
poultry establishments interested in donating products to non-profit 
organizations. FSIS has received several questions from meat and 
poultry establishments and non-profit organizations on this subject and 
has decided to address the major concerns associated with donation in 
this guideline. FSIS encourages establishments to donate meat and 
poultry products to non-profit organizations, when possible, to reduce 
food loss and waste.

DATES: Submit Comments on or before February 19, 2021.

ADDRESSES: A downloadable version of the guideline is available to view 
and print at https://www.fsis.usda.gov/wps/portal/fsis/topics/regulatory-compliance/guidelines. No hard copies of the guideline have 
been published.
    FSIS invites interested persons to submit comments on this proposed 
rule. Comments may be submitted by one of the following methods:
     Federal eRulemaking Portal: This website 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 https://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, Washington, DC 20250-3700.
     Hand- or courier-delivered submittals: Deliver to 1400 
Independence Avenue SW, Jamie L. Whitten Building, Room 350-E, 
Washington, DC 20250-3700.
    Instructions: All items submitted by mail or electronic mail must 
include the Agency name and docket number FSIS-2016-0026. Comments 
received in response to this docket will be made available for public 
inspection and posted without change, including any personal 
information, to https://www.regulations.gov.
    Docket: For access to background documents or comments received, 
call (202) 720-5627 to schedule a time to visit the FSIS Docket Room at 
1400 Independence Avenue SW, Washington, DC 20250-3700.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Rachel Edelstein, Assistant 
Administrator, Office of Policy and Program Development by telephone at 
(202) 205-0495.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Background

    In the United States, food waste is estimated as constituting 
between 30-40 percent of the food supply. This figure, based on 
estimates from USDA's Economic Research Service of a 31 percent food 
loss at the retail and consumer levels, corresponds to approximately 
133 billion pounds and $161 billion worth of food in 2010. Wasted food 
is the single largest category of material placed in municipal 
landfills and represents nourishment that could have helped feed 
families in need.\1\ Additionally, water, energy, and labor used to 
produce wasted food could have been employed for other purposes. 
Effectively reducing food waste will require cooperation among federal, 
state, tribal and local governments, faith-based institutions, 
environmental organizations, communities, and the entire supply chain.
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    \1\ See: https://www.ers.usda.gov/webdocs/publications/43833/43680_eib121.pdf?v=4126.8.
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    In October 2018, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), the 
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and the U.S. Food and Drug 
Administration (FDA) launched the Winning on Reducing Food Waste 
Initiative in a formal agreement.\2\ As part of the initiative, the 
agencies affirmed their shared commitment to work towards the national 
goal of reducing food loss and waste by 50 percent by 2030. The 
agencies agreed to coordinate food loss and waste actions such as 
education and outreach, research, community investments, voluntary 
programs, public-private partnerships, tool development, technical 
assistance, event participation, and policy discussion on the impacts 
and importance of reducing food loss and waste. While there have been 
significant actions taken and commitments made through public-private 
partnerships to date, there is still much work to be done. More 
information on USDA's Winning on Reducing Food Waste Initiative can be 
found on the USDA website at: https://www.usda.gov/foodlossandwaste/winning.
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    \2\ See: https://www.usda.gov/sites/default/files/documents/usda-fda-epa-formal-agreement.pdf.
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    FSIS believes that meat and poultry businesses can be a critical 
component of reducing food loss and waste. Therefore, FSIS is 
announcing the availability of a guideline to help meat and poultry 
establishments understand FSIS's requirements for donating meat and 
poultry products to non-profit organizations. The guideline explains 
inspection, labeling, and shipping requirements and exemptions.
    FSIS encourages interested parties to follow this guideline. This 
guideline represents current FSIS thinking, and FSIS will update it as 
necessary to reflect comments received and any additional information 
that becomes available. FSIS is seeking comments on this guideline as 
part of its efforts to continuously assess and improve the 
effectiveness of policy documents.

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/

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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 in Washington, DC.
Paul Kiecker,
Administrator.
[FR Doc. 2020-28082 Filed 12-18-20; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-DM-P