G/SPS/N/USA/3312  
 
18 February 2022  
(22-1566) Page: 1/2 
Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures  Original: English  
 
  NOTIFICATION  
1. Notifying Member:  UNITED STATES OF AMERICA  
If applicable, name of local government involved:   
2. Agency responsible:  US Department of Agriculture (USDA), 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 should be provided in addition, 
where applicable):  Meat (pork) and poultry products  
4. Regions or countries likely to be affected, to the extent relevant or practicable : 
[X] All trading partners   
[ ] Specific regions or countries:   
5. Title of the notified document:  Changes to the Salmonella Verification Testing Program: 
Proposed Performance Standards for Salmonella in Raw Comminuted Pork and Intact or 
Non-Intact Pork Cuts and Related Agency Verification Procedures . Language(s):  English . 
Number of pages:  7 
https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2022/02/16/2022 -03301/c hanges -to-the-
salmonella -verification -testing -program -proposed -performance -standards -for-salmonella  
https://www.regulations.gov/document/FSIS_FRDOC_0001 -0710 
https://members.wto.org/crnattachments/2022/SPS/USA/22_1690_00_e.pdf  
6. Description of content:  The US Department of Agriculture, Food Safety and Inspection 
Service (FSIS) is announcing and requesting comment on proposed pathogen reduction 
performance standards for Salmonella  in raw comminuted pork and raw intact or non -
intact pork cuts. FSIS is also announcing how it plans to assess whether US establishments 
producing these products are effectively addressing Salmonella  using a moving window of 
FSIS sampling results. Approximately one year (52 weeks) after the new performance 
standards are made final, FSIS plans to post online each US pork establishment's 
perform ance category, based on the most recent 52  Salmonella  sample results. The notice 
discusses other verification activities related to FSIS  Salmonella  sampling and testing of 
raw pork products.  
Finally, the notice provides a brief summary of FSIS's recent ann ouncements concerning  
Salmonella  in poultry products.  
FSIS will consider comments received on this notice before announcing the final 
performance standards in the Federal Register and assessing whether US pork 
establishments meet them. Please submit commen ts on or before 18 April 2022.  
Full text for this Federal Register notice (87 FR 8774) can be accessed at: 
https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2022/02/16/2022 -03301/changes -to-the-
salmonella -verification -testing -program -proposed -performance -standards -for-salmonella  G/SPS/N/USA/3312  
 
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  7. 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.   
8. Is there a relevant international standard? If so, identify the standard:  
[ ] Codex Alimentarius Commission (e.g.  title or serial number of Codex 
standard or related text) :  
[ ] World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) (e.g.  Terrestrial or Aquatic 
Animal Health Code, chapter number) :  
[ ] International Plant Protection Convention (e.g.  ISPM number) :  
[X] None  
Does this proposed regulation conform to the relevant international standard?  
[ ] Yes   [  ] No 
If no, describe, whenever possible, how and why it deviates from the 
international standard:   
9. Other relevant documents and language(s) in which these are available:  
Information available on the USDA FSIS website: 
https://www.fsis.usda.gov/policy/federal -register -rulemaking/federal -register -
notices/changes -salmonella -verification -0 (available in English)  
10. Proposed date of adoption (dd/mm/yy) : To be determined.  
Proposed date of publication (dd/mm/yy) : 16 February 202 2 
11. Proposed date of entry into force: [  ] Six months from date of publication , and/or  
(dd/mm/yy) : To be determined.  
[ ] Trade facilitating measure   
12. Final date for comments: [  ] Sixty days from the date of circulation of the 
notification and/or (dd/mm/yy) : 18 April 2022  
Agency or authority designated to handle comments: [  ] National Notification 
Authority, [  ] National Enquiry Point. Address, fax number and e -mail address (if 
available) of other body:   
Rachel Edelstein, Assistant Administrator, USDA FSIS Office of Policy and Program 
Development by telephone at +(202) 205 0495  
13. Text(s) available from: [  ] National Notification Authority, [  ] National Enquiry 
Point. Address, fax number and e -mail address (if available) of other body:   
https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2022/02/16/2022 -03301/changes -to-the-
salmonella -verification -testing -program -proposed -performance -standards -for-salmonella