[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 32 (Thursday, February 15, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 11810-11811]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-03185]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Food Safety and Inspection Service

[Docket No. FSIS-2024-0002]


National Advisory Committee on Microbiological Criteria for 
Foods: Committee and Charter Renewal

AGENCY: Food Safety and Inspection Service, U.S. Department of 
Agriculture (USDA).

ACTION: Notice of intent to renew the Committee and its charter.

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SUMMARY: In accordance with the Federal Advisory Committee Act, this 
notice is announcing the intention of the USDA to renew the committee 
for the National Advisory Committee on Microbiological Criteria for 
Foods (NACMCF) and its charter.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dr. Kristal Southern, Designated 
Federal Officer, U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Food Safety and 
Inspection Service (FSIS),1400 Independence Avenue SW, Room 1128, 
Washington, DC 20250-3700. Telephone number: (202) 937-4171. Email: 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    The NACMCF is a discretionary advisory committee that was 
established in 1988 by the Secretary of Agriculture after consulting 
with the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services 
in response to the recommendations of two external organizations. The 
National Academy of Sciences recommended an interagency approach to 
microbiological criteria since various federal, State, and local 
agencies are responsible for food safety. Also, the U.S. House of 
Representatives Committee on Appropriations made a similar 
recommendation in the Rural Development, Agriculture, and Related 
Agencies Appropriation Bill for fiscal year 1988.
    The NACMCF provides impartial scientific advice and recommendations 
to the Secretary of Agriculture and the Secretary of Health and Human 
Services on public health issues relative to the safety and 
wholesomeness of the U.S. food supply, including the development of 
microbiological criteria and review and evaluation of epidemiological 
and risk assessment data and methodologies for assessing 
microbiological hazards in foods. The Committee also provides 
scientific advice and recommendations to the Departments of Commerce 
and Defense. The Under Secretary for Food Safety, USDA, Dr. Emilio 
Esteban, is the Committee Chair; the Acting Director of the Food and 
Drug Administration's Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, Dr. 
Donald Prater, is the Vice-Chair; and Dr. Kristal Southern, FSIS, is 
the Designated Federal Officer and Director of the NACMCF Secretariat.
    The charter for the NACMCF is available for viewing on the FSIS 
website at https://www.fsis.usda.gov/policy/advisory-committees/national-advisory-committee-microbiological-criteria-foods-nacmcf.
    NACMCF documents and comments posted on the FSIS website are 
electronic conversions from a variety of source formats. In some cases, 
document conversion may result in character translation or formatting 
errors. The original document is the official, legal copy. In order to 
meet the electronic and information technology accessibility standards 
in Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act, NACMCF may add alternate text 
descriptors for non-text elements (graphs, charts, tables, multimedia, 
etc.). These modifications only affect the internet copies of the 
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: 
https://www.fsis.usda.gov/policy/federal-register-rulemaking/federal-register-notices. FSIS will also 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 is able to provide information to a much 
broader, more diverse audience. In addition, FSIS offers an email 
subscription service that provides automatic and customized access to 
selected food safety news and information. This service is available 
at: https://www.fsis.usda.gov/news-events/news-press-releases/news-feeds-subscriptions. Options range from recalls to export information,

[[Page 11811]]

regulations, directives, and notices. Customers can add or delete 
subscriptions themselves and have the option to password protect their 
accounts.

USDA Nondiscrimination Statement

    In accordance with Federal civil rights law and USDA civil rights 
regulations and policies, the USDA, its agencies, offices, and 
employees, and institutions participating in or administering USDA 
programs are prohibited from discriminating based on race, color, 
national origin, religion, sex, gender identity (including gender 
expression), sexual orientation, disability, age, marital status, 
family/parental status, income derived from a public assistance 
program, political beliefs, or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil 
rights activity, in any program or activity conducted or funded by USDA 
(not all bases apply to all programs). Remedies and complaint filing 
deadlines vary by program or incident. Persons with disabilities who 
require alternative means of communication for program information 
(e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, American Sign Language, etc.) 
should contact the responsible Agency or USDA's TARGET Center at (202) 
720-2600 (voice and TTY) or contact USDA through the Federal Relay 
Service at (800) 877-8339. Additionally, program information may be 
made available in languages other than English. To file a program 
discrimination complaint, complete the USDA Program Discrimination 
Complaint Form, AD-3027, found online at https://www.usda.gov/oascr/how-to-file-a-program-discrimination-complaint and at any USDA office 
or write a letter addressed to USDA and provide in the letter all of 
the information requested in the form. To request a copy of the 
complaint form, call (866) 632-9992. Submit your completed form or 
letter to USDA by:
    (1) Mail: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Office of the Assistant 
Secretary for Civil Rights, 1400 Independence Avenue SW, Washington, DC 
20250-9410; (2) fax: (202) 690-7442; or (3) email: 
[email protected].
    USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer, and lender.

    Dated: February 7, 2024.
Egypt Simon,
Acting USDA Committee Management Officer.
[FR Doc. 2024-03185 Filed 2-14-24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-DM-P