G/SPS/N/USA/2893  
 
22 September 2016  
(16-5051) Page: 1/2 
Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures  Original: English  
 
  NOTIFICATION  
1. Notifying Member: UNITED STATES OF AME RICA 
If applicable, name of local government involved:   
2. Agency responsible: 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): Raw ground beef products  
4. Regions or countries likely to be affected, to the extent relevant or practicable : 
[X] All trading partn ers   
[ ] Specific regions or countries:   
5. Title of the notified document: Records To Be Kept by Official Establishments and 
Retail Stores That Grind Raw Beef Products . Language(s): English . Number of 
pages:  20 
https://federalregister.gov/a/2015 -31795  
6. Description of content: The Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) is amending its 
recordkeeping regulations to require that all official establishments and retail stores that 
grind raw beef pr oducts for sale in commerce maintain the following records: The 
establishment numbers of establishments supplying material used to prepare each lot of 
raw ground beef product; all supplier lot numbers and production dates; the names of 
the supplied materia ls, including beef components and any materials carried over from 
one production lot to the next; the date and time each lot of raw ground beef product is 
produced; and the date and time when grinding equipment and other related food -
contact surfaces are c leaned and sanitized. These requirements also apply to raw beef 
products that are ground at an individual customer's request when new source materials 
are used. Effective date: 20 June 2016 . 
A related measure was previously notified on 16 May 2012 as G/SPS /N/USA/2373.  
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) :   
[ ] Intern ational Plant Protection Convention (e.g.  ISPM number) :   
[X] None  G/SPS/N/USA/2893  
 
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  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:  
10. Proposed date of adoption (dd/mm/yy) : 21 December 2015  
Proposed date of publication (dd/mm/yy) : 21 December 2015  
11. Proposed date of entry into force: [ ]  Six months from  date of publication , 
and/or  (dd/mm/yy) : 20 June 2016  
[ ] Trade facilitating measure   
12. Final date for comments: [ ]  Sixty days from the date of circulation of the 
notification and/or (dd/mm/yy) : Not applicable  
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:  
For further information contact: Daniel Engeljohn, Assistant Administrator, Office of 
Policy and Program Develo pment, Food Safety and Inspection Service, US Department of 
Agriculture, Washington, DC 20250; Tel: +(202) 205 0495; Fax: +(202) 720 2025  
13. Text(s)  available from: [X]  National Notification Authority, [ ]  National Enquiry 
Point. Address, fax number and e-mail address (if available) of other body:   
United States SPS National Notification Authority, USDA Foreign Agricultural Service, 
International Regulations and Standards Division (IRSD), Stop 1014, Washington D.C. 
20250; Tel: +(1 202) 720 1301; Fax: +(1 202) 720 0433; E -mail: 
us.spsenquirypoint@fas.usda.gov