. /.WORLD TRADE
ORGANIZATIONG/SPS/N/USA/242
21 March 2000
(00-1174)
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
(FSIS)
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:  Cured pork products
4. Title and number of pages of the notified document:  Elimination of Requirements for
the Compliance Monitoring System for Cured Pork Products (3 pages)
5. Description of content:  The Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) is proposing to
amend the meat inspection regulations by removing the regulations that prescribe the
Agency's compliance monitoring system for cured pork products.  Removing these
regulations will not affect the regulatory requirements that industry is responsible formeeting.  The proposal will remove requirements that specify the frequency with which
FSIS samples these products and the enforcement actions that the Agency will take in
response to specific laboratory findings from analysis of product samples.  FSIS is
proposing to remove these prescriptive controls on itself because the Agency intends to
institute a new approach to sampling and testing meat and poultry products to verify that the
products meet regulatory requirements for consumer protections other than food safety (i.e.
misbranding and economic adulteration).  If the Agency takes this action, it will be able toreallocate some of its in-plant and laboratory resources to give greater emphasis to food
safety concerns.
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 standard, guideline or recommendation does not exist [  X ].
If an international standard, guideline or recommendation exists, give the appropriate
reference and briefly identify deviations:
8. Relevant documents and language(s) in which these are available: 65 FR 14489,
17 March 2000;  9 CFR Parts 318, 319 and 327 (Available in English)
9. Proposed date of adoption:  To be determined.
10. Proposed date of entry into force:  To be determined.G/SPS/N/USA/242
Page 2
11. Final date for comments:  16 May 2000.
Agency or authority designated to handle comments:  Food Safety and Inspection
Service, USDA
[    ] National notification authority, [     ] National enquiry point, or address, fax
number and E-mail address (if available) of other body:  Detailed instruction on where
and how to send comments 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:
United States SPS Enquiry Point/Notification Authority
USDA/FAS/FSTSD
ATTN: Carolyn F. Wilson
Room 5545 South Agriculture Building
Stop 10271400 Independence Avenue, S.W.
Washington, D.C. 20250
Phone (202) 720-2239
Fax (202) 690-0677
E-mail Address: ofsts@fas.usda.gov