. /.WORLD TRADE
ORGANIZATIONG/SPS/N/USA/158
27 May 1999
(99-2127)
Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures Original:  English
NOTIFICATION
1. Member to Agreement notifying:   UNITED STATES
If applicable, name of local government involved:
2. Agency responsible:   Department of Agriculture, Food Safety and Inspection Service
3. Products covered (provide tariff item number(s) as specified in national schedules
deposited with the WTO;  ICS numbers may be provided in addition, where applicable).
Regions or countries likely to be affected, to the extent relevant or practicable:  Meat
and poultry
4. Title and number of pages of the notified document:  Elimination of Requirements for
Partial Quality Control Programs (9 pages)
5. Description of content:  The Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) is proposing to
amend the meat and poultry products inspection regulations by removing the requirements
pertaining to partial quality control (PQC) programs except with respect to the irradiation ofpoultry products. A PQC program controls a single product, operation, or part of an
operation in a meat or poultry establishment. The proposal would remove the design
requirements for PQC programs and the requirements for establishments to have PQC
programs for certain products or processes, other than those that apply to irradiation of
poultry products. For example, the proposal would remove the requirements for poultryslaughtering establishments operating under the New Line Speed (NELS) inspection system
and the New Turkey Inspection System (NTIS) to have PQC programs and the requirements
concerning the design, content, and Agency approval of those programs. The proposal
would also remove from the thermal processing regulations the requirements for FSIS prior
approval of systems and devices not specified in the regulations and all requirementsconcerning PQC programs. The proposal would expand the alternatives available to
establishments under the thermal processing regulations for ensuring the safety of their
products. This proposal is intended to provide inspected establishments with flexibility, to
make the regulations more consistent with the Pathogen Reduction (PR)/Hazard Analysis
and Critical Control Points (HACCP) regulations, and to encourage establishments to adoptnew technologies and methods that will improve food safety and other consumerprotections.
6. Objective and rationale:  [  X ] food safety  [  ] animal health [  ] plant protection
[  ] protect humans from animal/plant pest or disease  [  ]  protect territory from other 
damage from pests
7. An international standa rd, guideline or recommendati on does not exist [ X ].
If an international standard , guideline or recommendation exists, give the appropriate
reference and briefly identify deviations:G/SPS/N/USA/158
Page 2
8. Relevant documents and language(s) in which these are available:  64 FR 26892,
18 May 1999;  9 CFR Parts 317, 318, 319 and 381 (Available in English)
9. Proposed date of adoption:  To be determined.
10. Proposed date of entry into force:  The date of adoption and entry into force will be
announced when the final rule is published in the Federal Register.
11. Final date for comments:   19 July 1999
Agency or authority designated to handle comme nts:  [  ] National notification authority,
[  ] National enquiry point, or address, fax number and E-mail address (if available) of
other body:   Food Safety and Inspection Service, USDA
Detailed instruction on where and how to send commen ts is in the body of the full text – which
will be sent upon request to the address in paragraph 12.
12. Texts available from:  [ X ] National notification authority,  [ X ]  National enquiry point,
or address, fax number and E-mail address (if available) of other body:
USDA/FAS/FSTD
Attn:  Carolyn F. Wilson
Room 5545 South Agriculture Building
Stop 1027
1400 Independence Avenue, S.W.
Washington, D.C. 20250
Tel:  (202) 720 2239
Fax::  (202) 690 0677E-mail address:  ofsts@fas.usda.gov